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THE 

PSALMODY QUESTION 

AN EXAMINATION 

OF 

THE ALLEGED DIVINE APPOINTMENT 

OF 

THE BOOK OF PSALMS 

AS 

THE EXCLUSIVE MANUAL OF PRAISE 



BY 

The Rev. DAVID FINDLEY BONNER, AM., D.D. 



" Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly ; in all wisdom 
teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and 
hymns and spiritual songs."— Colossians 3 : 16. 



HANFORD and HORTON 

MIDDLETOWN, N. Y. 

1908 






JuSRARY of C 






ivo Copies K© 

MAR 1ES908 
Jepyngfu titir* 

AXci flu. 



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I 52i 



Copyright, 1908 
By David Findley Bonneb 



PREFACE. 

In a way, this work is an expansion of a series of 
articles published in August— September, 1904, in The 
Westminster. And yet it is more than this. 

In those articles the following argument was only 
briefly indicated. Here it is fully stated. There 
authorities were not even cited. Here they are freely 
quoted. There important points were necessarily 
omitted. Here they are clearly presented. Then the 
object was to arrest attention. Now it is to produce 
conviction. 

The time seems ripe for the discussion here at- 
tempted. Fresh interest in the subject of Psalmody 
is being awakened; and a movement having for its 
object the pressing of the claims of a Davidic Psalm- 
ody to an exclusive place in the church's hymnody, 
has been inaugurated. A new metrical version of the 
Psalms has recently been published, and is now being 
perfected. Two large and enthusiastic Psalmody con- 
ventions have recently been held; and a volume con- 
taining the papers presented at these conventions has 
just been issued. 

Our United Presbyterian brethren seem disposed 
to make the exclusive use of the Psalms of David in 
the worship of God their chief distinctive principle, 
and to give to its maintenance and propagation a 
corresponding measure of devotion. 1 



lf 'In providing for the publication of these convention ad- 
dresses the General Assembly had more in mind than a de- 
nominational interest. There was the further purpose to 
submit them to the serious consideration of the Christian 
Church at large." Preface to "The Psalms in Worship." 



iv PREFACE. 

This work was largely written before the writer 
knew that the Psalmody conventions were to be held. 
It was completed and ready for the press before they 
met. Pending arrangements for publication, how- 
ever, it was learned that the proceedings of these con- 
ventions were to be published. In view of this fact 
the manuscript was laid aside till the book should be 
issued. 

This book has now been published. It is a unique 
and imposing volume. It is unique because of its 
multiple authorship. Two conventions were held— 
the first in Pittsburg, and the second in Chicago. They 
were held about a fortnight apart in November, 1905. 
The same themes were discussed in both conventions, 
but by different speakers. Twenty-seven topics, cov- 
ering every phase of the Psalmody question, were se- 
lected; and each topic was assigned to two persons. 
Upon these topics papers were to be prepared, and one 
complete set presented at each convention. The re- 
sult is this book. Aside from a brief preface the book 
contains nothing but these papers. The volume is im- 
posing because of its size and comprehensiveness. It 
contains 572 octavo pages, and gathers together fifty- 
four papers by as many different writers. 

There are both advantages and disadvantages in 
such authorship; and this volume exhibits some of 
both of them. For the most part the discussion is 
dignified and courteous, and some of the papers have 
real literary excellence. As a whole, the volume is a 
credit to our brethren, and is a strong plea for their 
position. 

After a careful examination of the volume it does 



PREFACE. v 

not seem to be either necessary or desirable to recon- 
struct and rewrite my work. I have added notes to 
meet, so far as seemed desirable, new points, or old 
points freshly presented. 

In the hope that this little work may contribute 
somewhat to the bringing together of the separated 
groups of the Presbyterian family, the writer submits 
it to the kindly and thoughtful consideration of his 
brethren in all branches of the Presbyterian brother- 
hood. 

Presbyterian Manse, 

Marathon, N. Y., 

Aug. 29, 1907. 



CONTENTS 



INTRODUCTION. 

Practical importance of the question. —Diverse views 
bar to fellowship.— United Presbyterians ac- 
cepted as typical Psalm-singers.— Reasons. 



uar to ±eiiowsuip. — umieu r 
cepted as typical Psalm-singers. 

CHAPTER I. 



THE QUESTION STATED. 

Controversy dates from 1719.— Three positions de- 
veloped: Davidic Psalmody; Scripture Psalm- 
ody; Scriptural Psalmody.— The Davidic theory. 
—Testimony of the United Presbyterian Church.— 
Testimony slightly ambiguous.— James Harper, 
D.D.— John T. Pressly, D.D.— J. B. Johnston, 
D.D. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 

Divine appointment.— Westminster Confession.— 
J. G. Carson, D.D.— James Harper, D.D.— D. W. 
Collins, D.D. —Positions controverted. —Varia- 
tions from Mosaic ordinances noted.— The ordi- 
nance of praise.— James Harper, D.D.— J. Clay- 
baugh, D.D.— The True Psalmody.— True con- 
ception of the ordinance of praise. 

CHAPTER III. 

THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 

Their exclusive use.— Position as stated by J. Clay- 
baugh, D.D.— John T. Pressly, D.D.— Dr. Martin. 
—J. 6. Carson, D.D.— Position examined.— 



viii CONTENTS. 

Psalmody of Old Testament church not exclu- 
sively Davidic.— Alfred Edersheim, D.D.— Sup- 
plemental Note : (a) Question stated ; (6) Psalter 
formed; (c) Question answered. 

CHAPTER IV. 

PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

Proof texts.— Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16.— 
The three systems tested by these texts.— 1. 
Davidic theory.— John T. Pressly, D.D.— J. Clay- 
baugh, D.D.— William J. Reid, D.D.— Statements 
inaccurate. — 2. A Scripture, or Inspired, Psalm- 
ody.— J. B. Johnston, D.D.— Joseph T. Cooper, 
D.D.— Theory examined.— 3. Scriptural theory. 
—This theory comprehensive and not exclusive.— 
Texts examined.— Word of Christ.— Teaching 
and admonishing.— Terms, Psalms, Hymns and 
Spiritual Songs.— Jewish custom.— Edersheim.— 
Ephesians probably hymn-singers. — Winer. — 
Supplementary Note: (a) Psalm titles in Septua- 
gint; (6) Spiritual; (c) Making songs; (d) " Un- 
thinkable' ' linking. 

CHAPTER V. 

PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. 

Place of song in Christian work.— Concessions of 
Psalm-singers.— James Harper, D.D.— Overture 
of 1787.— Concession theoretical rather than prac- 
tical.— Hymnody as evidence of unity.— Present 
hymnody not ideal.— Co-operation of Psalm- 
singers desirable.— Supplemental Note: (a) The 
Ephesian and Colossian passages; (6) Gospel 
hymns; (c) Outlook for Psalmody; (d) Con- 
clusion. 



INTRODUCTION. 

Considered in reference to their songs of praise the 
Presbyterian churches of this country are divisible 
into Psalm-singers and hymn-singers. The former, 
in their formal worship of God, confine themselves 
exclusively to the use of a metrical version of the Book 
of Psalms. The latter extend their songs of praise be- 
yond this collection. So far as mere number of organ- 
izations is concerned, these churches are equally di- 
vided between these two groups. 

This difference respecting Psalmody is probably 
the most divisive difference existing in the Presby- 
terian family to-day. While recent ecclesiastical his- 
tory and current ecclesiastical conditions forbid the 
fond expectation that with even this difference com- 
pletely eliminated these bodies would at once flow 
together into one organization, yet doubtless such 
elimination would contribute largely to such a result. 
It would at any rate, beyond all question, render co- 
operation and fellowship between them more feasible 
and cordial than is possible at present. No other dif- 
ference is such a bar to complete fraternization as this 
one respecting Psalmody. In fellowship meetings 
and co-operative activities other differences can, for 
the time, be ignored. Usually there is nothing to 
bring them into prominence and make them matters 
of synchronous practical importance. It is otherwise 
with Psalmody. There can be no devotional service 
without song— no song without words, But what 



2 INTRODUCTION. 

shall these be— Psalm or hymn, or Psalm and hymn? 
One or other of these it must be ; and yet neither one 
of these alternatives is fully and cordially satisfactory 
to either party. Kegrettable as this condition of af- 
fairs is anywhere and always, it is positively distress- 
ing in the foreign field when workers of kindred faith 
and polity are seeking fullest co-operation in mission 
work. 

Such a condition cannot be absolutely justified. 
God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. Were 
his will fully apprehended and loyally obeyed there 
would be harmony. Either one side is maintaining a 
restriction, or the other is practicing a freedom, which 
is unwarranted. Which is it? Which has mistaken 
the Divine will ? It will not do to answer this question 
hastily or inconsiderately ; for it is a question of long 
standing, and has been differently answered by able 
and conscientious men. And yet the fact that after 
two or three generations of controversy the question 
remains an open one should not lead us to feel that 
a final answer is unattainable. Kather it should incite 
us to more careful study and more diligent endeavor 
to discover the Divine will. To such study and effort 
the following pages will be devoted. 

In prosecuting this study the United Presbyterian 
Church of North America will be regarded and 
treated as the representative of the Psalm-singing 
churches. This will be done, not because there is any- 
thing peculiar in the teachings of this church on the 
subject of Psalmody which differentiates it from the 
other Psalm-singing churches, but for the following 
reasons : 



INTRODUCTION. 3 

1. It is by far the largest of the Psalm-singing 
churches in this country. The titles and membership 
of the various Psalm-singing churches in our country 
are as follows: The Associate Presbyterian, 1,000; 
The Associate Reformed Synod of the South, 13,000 ; 
Christian Reformed Church, 24,000; Reformed Pres- 
byterian Synod, 10,000; Reformed Presbyterian 
General Synod, 5,000 ; The United Presbyterian, 145,- 
000 ; total, 198,000. Thus it is seen that nearly 75 per 
cent, of the entire Psalm-singing membership is found 
in the United Presbyterian Church. 

2. With the possible exception of the Christian Re- 
formed Church it is fully and fairly representative 
of all the Psalm-singing churches. It is at least rep- 
resentative of all those with which closer relations or 
organic union are at present practical questions. It 
is so for the reason that it is a union church— a church 
resulting from union at different times of different 
bodies of Psalm-singers. And further, in this connec- 
tion, it is a happy fact that'these different bodies are 
represented in the authorship of its literature on the 
Psalmody question. 

3. Within one of the constituent elements of this 
church— The Associate Reformed— the writer was 
reared; and in the United Church the earlier years 
of his ministry were passed. Its teachings are thor- 
oughly familiar to him. Its authors were his ac- 
quaintances—many of them his personal friends. 

The work is not undertaken because of love of con- 
troversy, but because the writer desires the union, 
or at least the complete fraternization, of the entire 
Presbyterian family. Neither of these ends will be 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

effected till this question is settled. Nor will it be 
settled by the overpowering weight of mere numbers. 
It is not desirable that it should be. It will be settled 
only by the harmonizing of intelligent convictions. 
This work is the statement, explanation and justifi- 
cation of the convictions of the writer. These convic- 
tions are the results of years of study and reflection, 
and of many even painful struggles with doubts and 
difficulties. When first his inherited convictions be- 
gan to weaken in the presence of personal thought and 
practical experience the writer resisted the change, 
and did all in his pow r er to arrest it. The conflict con- 
tinued through several years. But the writer has 
reached satisfaction in this matter in the conclusions 
which in this little work find expression. Having 
been reached in this way, it is hoped that the conclu- 
sions which are here expressed, and the considerations 
by which they are justified, may lead other brethren 
passing through similar conflicts into like peace. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE QUESTION STATED. 

The Psalmody question as it exists to-day in this 
country really dates from the publication in 1719 of 
"The Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of 
the New Testament,' ' by Isaac Watts, D.D. Up to that 
time not only Presbyterians of all schools, but Con- 
gregationalists as well, practically confined themselves 
to some metrical version of the Psalms of David. It 
was only as these imitations came into current use 
that the Psalmody question as it exists to-day arose 
in the church. As it is no part of the purpose of this 
essay to trace the history of Psalmody we will content 
ourselves with the statement of results. Suffice it then 
to say that in the course of the controversy three 
theories of Psalmody have been developed. These 
three theories may be designated and briefly described 
as follows: 

1. A Davidic Psalmody. According to this theory, 
the church is restricted, in the formal worship of God, 
to the songs contained in the Book of Psalms. This is 
the practical, though, strictly speaking, not precisely 
the confessional, position of all the Psalm-singing 
churches of this country. 

2. A Scripture Psalmody. This extends the songs 
of praise to all suitable lyrical portions of the Scrip- 
tures. This has been practically the position of the 
Presbyterian churches of Great Britain and her col- 
onies until comparatively recent years. 



6 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

3. A Scriptural Psalmody. This extends the songs 
to all portions of the Scripture, and only requires that 
the songs be Scriptural in sentiment and devotional 
in character. This is practically the position of all 
the hymn-singing churches of to-day. 

Of these three theories only the first and third are of 
present practical importance. To these then let us 
turn. 

The Davidic theory finds expression in the testimony 
of the United Presbyterian Church. Article XVIII. 
of that testimony reads as follows: 

"We declare, That it is the will of God that the 
songs contained in the Book of Psalms be sung in his 
worship, both public and private, to the end of the 
world; and in singing God's praise, these songs should 
be employed to the exclusion of the devotional com- 
positions of uninspired men. " 

Examining this declaration closely, we find that it 
is neither so positive nor definite as at first reading 
it seems to be. It declares, first, That it is the will of 
God that the songs contained in the Book of Psalms 
are to be used in the worship of God, both public and 
private, to the end of the world. Does this mean that 
the entire Psalter is to be regularly sung through in 
course, or simply that the songs sung must be selected 
from the Psalter ? Time was when the former was an 
influential conception. In the writer's boyhood, in 
the first praise service of the Sabbath worship, the 
Psalter was regularly sung through in course. Of 
course this was done by portions. And these portions 
were always expounded— "explaining the Psalm/ ' it 
was called— before singing. So, too, in family wor- 



TEE QUESTION STATED. 7 

ship the Psalter was sung through in course, as the 
Bible was read through in course. But the practice 
has long since ceased. The writer, in his pulpit min- 
istrations, never followed it, nor, so far as he knows, 
have any of his contemporaries. Selection is the rule. 
So largely is this the case that for years there has 
been in common use a little praise book, entitled l ' Bible 
Songs. ' 9 It consists of brief selections from the Psalter 
set to appropriate music. And even when the entire 
Psalter is at hand selection is the rule. And the se- 
lections, on examination, will be found to be surpris- 
ingly limited. 

Second, it declares that these songs are to be sung 
to the exclusion of the devotional compositions of un- 
inspired men. 

Third, it is noticeable that it does not say that they 
are to be used to the exclusion of the devotional com- 
positions of inspired men. In other words, it does 
not say that these songs of the Psalter are to be sung to 
the exclusion of other suitable lyrical portions of the 
Scriptures. It leaves the question respecting the use 
of such songs an open one. 

This is not an unwarranted and disavowed inference 
from the language of the declaration. It is a fact 
freely acknowledged by our brethren themselves. 

1 i Among those who advocate the exclusive use of in- 
spired songs in praising God, some (a small minority, 
it is believed) hold, that, besides the Psalter, other 
parts of Scripture may warrantably be employed in 
that exercise/ ' Rev. James Harper, D.D., in Schaff- 
Herzog Encyclopedia s. v. Psalms. "Between those, 
on the one hand, who plead for the exclusive use of 
the Book of Psalms, and those, on the other, who ad- 



8 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

mit the propriety of using in the worship of God any 
song of praise contained in the Bible, the difference 
of opinion is not of such a nature as should disturb 
the peace of the Church of God. Such a difference 
should, I believe, be made a matter of forbearance 
among brethren. Let the principle be explicitly rec- 
ognized, that no songs of praise shall be used in the 
worship of God but those which are given by inspira- 
tion of God, and then the peace and harmony of the 
Christian world are not likely to be interrupted by 
controversy on this subject." Dr. Pressly on Psalm- 
ody, p. 88. ' ' True, on one hand, the practice has been 
confined to the Book of Psalms, while, in principle, 
uncompromised in regard to the use of other inspired 
songs, suitable for praise. It is a remarkable feature 
of the providence of the head of the church that has 
led all the psalm-singing churches to leave, in their 
organic law, the question of the use of ' other scrip- 
ture songs' an open one— one subject to interpretation, 
or application, as circumstances may suggest.' ' 
Psalmody, J. B. Johnston, p. 82. 

These three brethren represent the three constituent 
elements of the United Presbyterian Church; and 
hence the entire body of Psalm-singing Christians in 
this country. Attention is especially called to this 
indefiniteness in the statement of their position by 
our Psalm-singing brethren, not because of any prac- 
tical importance to be attached to it, but for its logical 
bearing on the Psalmody controversy. This bearing 
will become manifest when the argument by which the 
position of our brethren is defended comes to be ex- 
amined. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 

It is a fortunate fact that all members of the Pres- 
byterian household are in agreement in regard to the 
ultimate authority by which all questions of faith 
and practice are to be settled. The faith common to 
all of them is formulated in the Westminster Con- 
fession, and is as follows: 

"The light of nature showeth that there is a God, 
who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is good, 
and doeth good unto all ; and is therefore to be feared, 
loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with 
all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the 
might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the 
true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his 
own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped ac- 
cording to the imaginations and devices of men, or the 
suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, 
or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scrip- 
ture.' ' Confession of Faith, Chapter 21, Sec. 1. 

It is to this principle our brethren appeal. Upon it 
they found their plea. The following is a representa- 
tive statement of their position : 

"In pleading the cause of the songs of Zion, the 
great argument on which we rely is the divine ap- 
pointment of them, to be used in singing God's praise ; 
and our grand objection to the use of the evangelical 
compositions of uninspired men is, that whatever other 
, recommendations they may possess, they lack divine 
t appointment. ... As this is a principle of very great 



10 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

importance at all times; and especially so at a time 
like the present, when there is so strong a disposition 
to make improvements in religion, as well as in the 
department of human science, the reader will allow 
me to add a few remarks to what has already been said. 
' ' To ancient Israel, the following direction, with re- 
gard to the worship of God, was given by Jehovah him- 
self : 'An altar of earth, thou shalt make unto me, 
and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings and 
thy peace-offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen. And 
if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not 
build it of hewn stone; for if thou lift up thy tool 
upon it thou hast polluted it.' Exodus 20:24,25. 
If human wisdom had been consulted with regard to 
this institution, many reasons could have been ad- 
vanced to show the propriety of erecting an altar of 
a different kind from the one here described. It might 
have been said with much plausibility, that to set up 
an altar of rough unpolished stone would look very 
much like carelessness in relation to religious worship ; 
that it would seem to indicate an unwillingness to sub- 
mit to any labor or expense in the service of God ; and 
in appearance at least would be disrespectful to the 
object of religious worship. And the wisdom of man 
would not hesitate to decide that an altar of polished 
stone, neatly adjusted together by the skill of the artifi- 
cer, would appear more respectful to the Deity, and 
consequently would be more likely to prove acceptable 
to God. But, no ! It does not belong to human wis- 
dom to determine what is proper in the worship of 
God. This is exclusively the prerogative of him who is 
the object of religious worship ; and his declaration is, 
thou shalt not build it of hewn stone ; for if thou lift 
up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. . . . The 
conclusion of the whole matter then is, that in all our 
religious offerings, we must be prepared to answer 
the question, 'Who hath required this at your 
hands V " Dr. Pressly on Psalmody, pp. 16, 17, 18. 



TEE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 11 

To this principle itself no one objects. It is only 
to the interpretation and application of the principle 
by our brethren that exception is taken. In their 
teaching divine appointment is always specific and 
positive. It always either enjoins or forbids— never 
simply authorizes or permits. 

' ' When, therefore, we bring a Psalm, or a hymn to 
offer unto God, the very first requisite to acceptance 
is a divine warrant on which faith can rest and say, 
4 We bring to thee that which thou hast required and 
appointed.' And for this nothing less and nothing 
else will serve than a positive divine appointment, 
either by express Scripture precept or example, or 
good and necessary inference from Scripture. Faith 
is a positive, not a negative exercise, and requires a 
positive, not a negative authority. It will not satisfy 
such a faith to say that the thing is not forbidden, be- 
cause to the conscience of the believer the very absence 
of a divine appointment operates as a prohibition. ' ' 
An Authorized Psalmody. By Eev. J. G. Carson, 
D.D., pp. 19, 20. 

Kef erring to the statements of the Westminster Con- 
fession and Catechisms respecting worship Dr. James 
Harper says : 

"These statements are so precise and clear that to 
mistake their meaning would seem well-nigh impossi- 
ble, and that meaning is that every part and form of 
lawful worship is appointed by God, and that whatever 
lacks this appointment is forbidden." A Counterblast 
to the Organ. By James Harper, p. 10. "In matters 
of religious worship what God has not commanded is 
as good as forbidden." The Ordinance of Praise. By 
J. Claybaugh, D.D., p. 32. "The position of the 
churches adhering to an inspired Psalmody, however, 



12 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

is that every appointment of God for divine worship 
is obligatory— that there is no such thing as an op- 
tional warrant for any institution of that worship— 
that an inspired Psalmody has been appointed, and, 
therefore, is to be used exclusively— that singing in 
praise is required and instrumentation not required, 
and, therefore, has no place in praise. The whole lit- 
erature of the controversy on Psalmody has its pivo- 
tal point in this one question." Musical Instruments 
in Divine Worship, Condemned by the Word of God. 
By Rev. D. W. Collins, D.D., p. 18. 

There is a sense in which even these teachings may 
be cordially accepted. But taken in the sense in which 
they must be understood, if they are to be accepted as 
justification for the positions they are intended to sub- 
stantiate, they are neither Confessional nor Scriptural. 

They are not Confessional. One of the rules given 
for the interpretation of the Ten Commandments is 
this: "What God forbids is at no time to be done; 
what he commands is always our duty, and yet every 
particular duty is not to be done at all times." Larger 
Catechism, Question 99. Specially suggestive are the 
Scripture texts quoted in proof of the position. They 
are these ; Matt. 12 : 7 : ' ' But if ye had known what this 
meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would 
not have condemned the guiltless" ; Mark 14 : 7 : "For 
ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye 
will ye may do them good; but me ye have not al- 
ways." In other words, the commands of God are 
always to be interpreted in the light of the purpose 
for which they have been given— the end they are in- 
tended to serve; and the spirit of the command is 
never to be sacrificed to its letter. 



THE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 13 

They are not Scriptural, (a) Only the males among 
the Israelites were required to attend the annual 
feast (Deut. 16: 16, 17), and yet women attended with 
acceptance. 1 Sam. 1:7. ( b ) Only three annual feasts 
were appointed. These were the Feasts of the Pass- 
over, Pentecost and Tabernacles. Deut. 16:16, 17. 
After the Captivity two others were added— Purim 
and Dedication. Specially noticeable, in this connec- 
tion, is the latter. It was "an annual festival insti- 
tuted by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 b.c. to celebrate the 
reconsecration of the temple to Jehovah after it had 
been desecrated for three years by the Greek idolatries 
carried on within its precincts by order of Antiochus 
Epiphanes. 1 Mac. 4:52-59. The feast lasted eight 
days, beginning on the 25th of Chislev (approx- 
imately November), and falling consequently in win^ 
ter. Jesus was at least once present at Jerusalem 
during the festival, and delivered one of his discourses 
to those assembled at the temple for the celebration. 
John 10 : 22. The Jews still observe the festival. ' ' 
Dictionary of the Bible. John D. Davis, s. v. Dedi- 
cation. So also in substance Hastings and Smith Dic- 
tionaries, and other authorities. Here, then, is a feast 
not even mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures, 
and yet honored by Jesus by personal attendance and 
public teaching, (c) In the times of our Saviour 
there were two observances connected with the Feast 
of Tabernacles— the pouring out of water from the 
pool of Siloam and the illumination of the temple— 
which were of post-Mosaic origin. And yet while in 
Jerusalem in attendance upon this feast Jesus ap- 
parently makes use of both of these customs to illus- 



14 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

trate his mission. John 7:37; 8:12. (d) The law it- 
self made provision for free-will offerings. Lev. 7 : 16. 
The first mention of these is in connection with the 
building of the tabernacle. Ex. 25:2; 35:29; 36:3. 
And this fact sufficiently indicates their true charac- 
ter, (e) It seems difficult, too, on the principles of our 
brethren, to justify current orthodox teachings re- 
specting the Fourth Commandment. That command- 
ment as explicitly enjoins work on the six days as it 
does rest and worship on the seventh ; and yet no one 
hesitates to urge, on occasion, intermission of labor 
and devotion of some, or, even for a time, largely all 
of these six days to worship. 

Of course our brethren have a reply to all this. It 
is thus presented by one of them : 

" There is, therefore, no warrant in reference to 
the passover that did not apply to the women as well as 
to the men. But even if the women had not been in- 
cluded in the obligation to observe the passover, every- 
thing in the mode of observing it was obligatory, and 
this is the question at issue. . . . The prolonging of 
a feast by Solomon and Hezekiah is not a case in 
point, nor is the question of the appointment of the 
Feast of Dedication. For it is not a question of times 
or occasions for worship, but of the mode of worship 
to be observed in the praise of God. We have a right 
to infer for several reasons which we need not present 
here, that the Feast of Dedication was of divine obliga- 
tion. But it does not matter in the decision of the 
question of the mode of praise. The prolonging of 
a feast, or the appointment of a new occasion for 
others, by no means implies a permission to change 
a prescribed mode of worship. If the occasion was 
one for praise it must be rendered as the law required. 



TEE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 15 

The principle holds good in reference to every ex- 
ample. 

1 ' The claim that in the institution of free-will offer- 
ings the letter of the law makes a distinction between 
the voluntary and the obligatory ' respecting religious 
worship, ' furnishes absolutely nothing in favor of the 
theory of an optional warrant for anything in divine 
worship. Moses commands, respecting the offering, 
made on the three great occasions of the assembling 
of the people at the appointed place, that 'they shall 
not appear before the Lord empty. ' ' Every man shall 
give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord 
thy God which he hath given thee. ' Deut. 16 : 16, 17. 
This command included what is in Lev. 23 : 38 called 
'gifts/ 'vows' and 'freewill offerings.' They were all 
required offerings. Every one was required to know 
how the Lord had blessed him and to offer accordingly. 
The offering was to be 'of his own will.' But the 
principle is that the giver recognizing the extent of 
the blessing he enjoyed should give with a cheerful 
heart, and his gifts were to be the evidence that his 
will was in hearty accord with the will of the Lord. 
It is the very principle on which all offerings are to be 
presented to God still. . . . Other examples are al- 
leged as being recognized by the consciousness and 
universal practice of Christendom as having for them 
an optional warrant, such as week-day services and 
prayer-meetings. It need only be replied here again 
that when such services are held God has prescribed 
the matter and manner of the service. Nothing is to 
be presented in such services but the ordinances as 
divinely appointed." Musical Instruments in Divine 
Worship, Condemned by the Word of God. By Rev. 
D. W. Collins, D.D., pp. 20-22. 

It is difficult to know how to reconcile these ap- 
parently conflicting teachings of our brethren. In 
worshipping God "the very first requisite to ac- 



16 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

ceptance is a divine warrant on which faith can rest 
and say, We bring thee that which thou hast required 
and appointed," and yet here is an Old Testament 
feast which "was of divine obligation," though not 
mentioned in the Old Testament Scriptures, and which 
did not even originate until, according to the tradi- 
tional view accepted by our brethren, long after the 
canon of Old Testament Scripture was closed. Here, 
too, are offerings our brethren say were required, and 
hence obligatory, which God himself said were free- 
will offerings and hence voluntary. 

The key to the reconciliation of these apparently 
contradictory teachings of our brethren lies in their 
conception of the ordinance of praise. That concep- 
tion is that the singing of Psalms in the formal wor- 
ship of God constitutes the ordinance of praise. This 
is the assumption underlying their entire argument. 
That it is, at least implicitly, their positive teaching 
the following quotations make evident: 

"What are the commonly acknowledged ordinances 
of the New Testament church ? The sacred observance 
of the Lord's day; the reading of the Scriptures; 
preaching; the benediction; prayer; the singing of 
psalms; the giving of our substance for the cause of 
God ; fasting in certain circumstances ; vowing to God ; 
the observance of baptism and the Lord's Supper; the 
form of church government; and the administration 
of discipline." A Counterblast to the Organ. By 
James Harper, pp. 81, 82. "No enlightened Christian 
w T ill deny that praise is an ordinance of God. . . . An 
ordinance always implies an ordaining power, to which 
exclusively belongs the regulation of the whole matter 
ordained. ... In the very nature of the thing, the 
entire ordinance is from the ordaining power. And 



THE BASAL PRINCIPLE, 17 

certainly the matter to be sung is of prominent im- 
portance in the ordinance of praise. And this or- 
dinance not merely prescribes praise in general, but 
appoints the Book of Psalms for this purpose." The 
Ordinance of Praise. By J. Claybaugh, D.D., pp. 
11-15. 

" There is an ordinance of praise. . . . But what 
is the ordinance of praise ? Does it consist merely in 
the use of musical instead of reading tones? And 
can there be so much difference between these two 
modes of uttering the same sentiments, as that one is 
allowable, and the other not? This is a very subtle 
form of the general argument which we have just con- 
sidered. And we remark, (1) That the same kind of 
reasoning would be equally available, as we have seen, 
to confound other religious acts and ordinances with 
the doings of every day, or of the Christian life. (2) 
It is not the mere use of singing tones, but the design 
of the act, and its circumstances, which we are here to 
consider, just as we do in reference to baptism, the 
Lord's Supper, and laying on of hands in the act of 
ordination. Are we engaged in celebrating God's 
praise in song, according to his appointment, and in 
circumstances to which that appointment relates? If 
so, we must have regard to something more than the 
tones merely in which we utter our praises. We must 
take with us the entire institution of praise as a part 
of the prescribed order of worship. Hence (3), it is 
most important to remember that we have a book, pro- 
vided by Him whose name we magnify in song, and 
appointed for this very end; and no command or 
promise, regarding another. Had we a book of prayers 
in the Scriptures— were we commanded to use this — 
were there no precept enjoining the use of any prayers 
not contained in this book— were there no promises of 
help in making prayers, the whole ordinance of prayer 
would be comprehended within this inspired liturgy 
with the appropriate and prescribed restrictions, sea- 



18 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

sons, etc. We have no such prayer book, but we have 
a hymn or Psalm book, similar in position, in refer- 
ence to the ordinance of praise, as our supposed in- 
spired prayer book to that of prayer. Hence, we ought 
to infer that in singing praises, this alone is to be used, 
whatever other uses we may lawfully make of song. 
(4) If there were no difference between reading and 
singing, we might omit the singing entirely, and only 
read Psalms and hymns ! Would this be the ordinance 
of praise? (5) God has linked singing of Psalms to 
the ordinance of praise, and we should not cavil about 
it, as if there were no material difference. ' p The True 
Psalmody, pp. 134, 136, 137. 

Such is the assumption— such the teaching of our 
brethren. It is noticeable that the assumption stops 
just short of claiming that singing praise and sing- 
ing Psalms are equivalent, and hence interchangeable, 
expressions— the teaching just short of declaring that 
the worshipful singing of Psalms constitutes the 
ordinance of praise. They stop just short of these 
positions for the reason, as seen in the preceding chap- 
ter, that the Psalm-singing churches have never offi- 
cially declared in favor of the use of the Psalms to the 
exclusion of the use of other inspired songs of praise. 
And yet, with exceptions which will be noticed in a 
subsequent chapter, this assumption lies at the basis 
of the entire argument of our brethren, and is essen- 
tial to its validity. 1 

*I have sought in vain for a clear and terse definition of 
praise in the writings of our brethren. It is promised in the 
index of The Psalms in Worship. But careful reading of the 
six pages cited does not reveal it. In one of the places cited 
I thought I had found it — "What is praise? The word is de- 
rived from the word 'price.' But who knows God's price or 



TEE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 19 

But the assumption is unwarranted— the teaching 
unscriptural. There are, it is freely and cheerfully 
conceded, three texts in our authorized version that 
apparently justify the assumption. Chiefest of these 
is James 5:13: ' ' Is any among you afflicted ? let him 
pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.' ' Here 
are evidently contrasted conditions and contrasted 
ordinances. The conditions are wretchedness and hap- 
piness. The ordinances Prayer and Praise. But in- 
stead of writing Let him praise, James writes, Let 
him sing psalms. Evidently, then, singing psalms 
and singing praise are equivalent expressions, and 



value? To prepare a complete and sufficient manual of 
praise ..." Then follows a plea for the Psalter. — "Inspira- 
tion has furnished Psalms, praises." On a page not cited in 
the index I found the following: "The verb to praise occurs 
four times in the New Testament, and in three of these in- 
stances, by universal admission, it refers to the Book of 
Psalms." These places are Matt. 26: 30; Mark 14: 26; Heb. 
2: 12, and Acts 16: 25. Then follows argument to prove that 
this fourth case also refers to the Psalter. The Psalms in 
Worship, pp. 60, 459. 108. This last statement, made by an 
old and esteemed schoolmate, is an amazing one. It implies: 
1. That the verb to praise occurs but four times in the New 
Testament. 2. That when it does occur it is the rendering of 
the Greek word vfiveco. 3. That it always means singing 
Psalms. The facts are: 1. There are three other verbs rendered 
praise. 2. The distinctive word for praise is aiveu. 3. It 
occurs nine times: Luke 2:13, 20; 19:37; 24:53 (A. V.) ; Acts 
2:47; 3:8, 9; Rom. 15:11; Rev. 19:5. 4. It never means 
merely singing Psalms. 

I do not wish to misrepresent our brethren. But their 
reasoning reduced to definition yields this: Praise is the wor- 
shipful singing of Psalms. And this is a definition of praise 
which is not justified by the word of God. 



20 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

hence the ordinance of praise consists in the worship- 
ful singing of Psalms. This is very simple, and, seem- 
ingly, very conclusive. The other two texts are 
1 Chron. 16:9 and Ps. 105:2. These passages are 
identical ones, and furnish no appreciable support to. 
the argument. 

In regard to this, notice— 1. In the revised versions 
—both British and American— each of these passages 
is rendered, sing praise, or sing praises. The passage 
in James is so rendered also in the version of the 
American Bible Union. 2. In the originals these 
phrases are represented by single words. They are 
the rendering of simple verbs— not of a transitive 
verb and its object. These words are psallo in Greek 
and zamar in Hebrew. Both are used with some fre- 
quency, and both alike primarily denote singing with 
instrumental accompaniment. They point then to the 
manner of praise rather than to its matter. 

The ordinance of praise then does not consist in the 
worshipful singing of Psalms. It consists in the musi- 
cal rendering of religious truth as an act of worship. 
But whether that truth shall be embodied in Psalm, 
hymn or spiritual song, and whether that rendition 
shall be choral or antiphonal— tune or chant, uni- 
sonous or harmonious — with or without instrumental 
accompaniment, are matters for separate considera- 
tion. All these things belong not to the essence, but 
to the circumstances, of praise. 

But, after all, this controversy between Psalm-sing- 
ers and hymn-singers in regard to divine appointment 
is largely a strife of words. Hymn-singers are not 
more disposed to render to God unacceptable worship 



THE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 21 

than are Psalm-singers. Nor do they recognize less 
clearly and acknowledge less fully that worship to be 
acceptable must be conformed to the will of God. It 
is simply a question as to what that will is. Our 
brethren seem to be strangely oblivious to the fact that 
the divine appointment, in other words, the revealed 
will of God, respecting worship covers two quite dis- 
tinct things. The one is the ground of worship, the 
other is its mode. On what ground can any sort of 
worship on the part of a sinful being be acceptable 
to a holy God? A basis of worship being provided, 
what form of worship is acceptable? It is evident 
that the ground, or basis, of worship must be divinely 
and graciously provided. Provision for worship hav- 
ing been furnished, worship itself must be rendered 
agreeably to the divine will. Broadly speaking, under 
the Old Testament dispensation, these two depart- 
ments of worship were committed to two orders of 
ministers— priests and prophets. It is true that 
while the prophet, as such, could discharge no priestly 
functions, yet the priest was charged with some pro- 
phetic duties. But, distinctively regarded, they rep- 
resented these different elements of religious worship. 
These two elements of worship were differently 
treated in the divine appointment. It was not that 
the divine will was to be disregarded in the one case 
any more than in the other. It was simply because the 
divine will itself treated the two things differently. 
And there was a manifest reason why it should. The 
ground of acceptable worship is the atonement. Under 
the Old Testament dispensation this was typically rep- 
resented by the propitiatory sacrifices. This atone- 



22 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

ment is a divine thing. Human work and human 
merit are utterly excluded from it. It was fitting then 
that when it was typically represented by human 
agency these agents should be strictly held to obedi- 
ence to divine instructions. And they were. Direc- 
tions were given in regard to the altar— the sacrifice 
—the priest— respecting everything in fact relating 
to the service. These things pertained to the priest; 
and hence regulations respecting the priesthood were 
explicit. It was otherwise with the prophet to whom 
distinctively the religious life of the people was en- 
trusted. There were no restrictions as to persons or 
times or places. It was only required that the teach- 
ing should be conformed to the truth as divinely re- 
vealed; and the worship should be that of the heart, 
and the life, and not simply of the lips. It is only 
when these great fundamentals were disregarded 
that there was condemnation and punishment of 
prophets and their adherents. Punishment for viola- 
tion, or disregard, of ritual was confined to priests 
or those who, without authority, sought to discharge 
priestly functions. It is not necessary to cite texts 
or refer to examples. All the texts quoted and all 
the cases cited in the entire literature of our brethren, 
so far as I recall, are covered by the statement. 1 

Now Psalmody was a prophetic and not a priestly 
function. It was a spiritual and not a ritual service. 
It was a service, moreover, w T hich antedated the in- 



2 The practically synchronous cases of Nadab and Abihu ( Lev. 
10:1-3), on the one hand, and Eldad and Medad (Num. 
11:16-30), on the other, indicate how differently from the 
beginning the two orders were regarded. 



THE BASAL PRINCIPLE. 23 

stitution of the priesthood; and even in the palmiest 
days of priestly ministration was under other than 
priestly superintendence. 1 Chron. 6 : 31, 49. Nor was 
the service so guarded by restrictions as were the 
functions of the priests. Uzziah the king was smitten 
with leprosy for daring to enter the temple and offer 
incense (1 Chron. 26:16-21), but there was no mani- 
festation of either human or divine displeasure when 
Hezekiah the king prepared songs of praise and di- 
rected their use with instrumental accompaniment in 
the house of the Lord. Isa. 38 I20. 1 Psalmody then is 
an ordinance of spiritual, as distinguished from ritual, 
worship, and is to be regulated by the general princi- 
ples regulating religious worship, except so far as it 
has been made the subject of special revelation. To a 
consideration of the extent to which it has been the 
subject of such revelation attention will be turned in 
the next chapter. 



1 So far as the present point is concerned, it is immaterial 
whether we read "my songs" or "my stringed instrument." In 
either case he was supplanting, or supplementing, the ordi- 
nance of praise as instituted by David. 2 Chron. 29 : 25-30. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 

It is not my purpose to traverse all that our 
brethren in their literature on the subject have writ- 
ten respecting the Book of Psalms. Much of it is ex- 
traneous to the psalmody controversy; and hence is 
not relevant to our present purpose. This fact has 
been well stated by one of our Psalm-singing authors : 

" It is high time that we were all, in this controversy, 
brought back to principles in common, and that we 
shape our discussions accordingly. 

1 ' On the one hand, most of the treatises in favor of 
a scripture psalmody have been apologies for the Book 
of Psalms, or defences of their use in the worship of 
God, to the exclusion of human compositions ; or their 
suitableness for worship in New Testament times; or 
their superior excellence to all human songs. Most 
of these forms of discussion involve mere truisms — 
matter beyond legitimate debate among intelligent 
Christians. The Psalms of the Bible need no apology. 
They need no defence; since neither God, nor his 
works, nor his word need any defence. We make no 
attempt to show their fitness for the worship of God, 
or the authority for their use. God made them — 
fitted them for his praise, and commands us to sing. 
Treatises in the forms referred to are very well in their 
place. They are helpers of the faith of pious Chris- 
tians who feed on God's word. Yet they may not 
meet the main points in this issue on the psalm- 
ody question.' ' Psalmody. Johnston. Introduction, 
p. 10. 



THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 25 

The one question at issue concerns their exclusive 
use in the worship of God. The issue is stated as 
follows by another of our brethren : 

"The question, then, is, Should not the Church 
in all instituted worship, private, social, and pub- 
lic, confine herself and her members in the mat- 
ter of praise wholly to as literal a version of the 
Book of Psalms as can be obtained, adapted to be 
sung?" (Capitals are the author^.) The Ordinance 
of Praise. By J. Claybaugh, D.D., p. 11. 

To this question most of our brethren say, yes. 
Some of them, as well as ourselves, say, no. Let us 
examine the reasons for their answers given by those 
who reply affirmatively. We will allow them to an- 
swer in their own way, and in their own words. We 
will, moreover, give their answers at such length as to 
give them fair presentation. 

"By whom these songs, which were evidently com- 
posed by different persons and on a great variety of 
occasions, were collected into a book and arranged 
in their present order, we are not able to determine 
with absolute certainty. There is, however, strong 
probability in support of the conclusion, that this 
service was performed by Ezra, This distinguished 
priest and scribe, who acted a conspicuous part in 
that important reformation which was effective in 
connection with the return of the Jews from Baby- 
lon, according to Jewish tradition, by divine direc- 
tion, collected and arranged the different portions of 
the sacred writings then extant, and digested them in 
that systematic order in which they have been handed 
down to us. But let this matter be decided as it may, 
it is sufficient for us to know, that whoever may have 
collected these songs together, it was done with divine 



26 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

approbation; for the writers of the New Testament 
refer to them by the title 'the Book of Psalms.' And 
to use the language of the celebrated writer already- 
referred to (Jonathan Edwards), 'it is manifest that 
the Book of Psalms was given of God for this end'; 
that is, that it might be used by the church in singing 
God's praise. 'It was used in the church of Israel by 
God's appointment. This is manifest by the title of 
many of the Psalms, in wiiich they are inscribed to 
the chief musician; that is, to the man that was ap- 
pointed to be the leader of divine songs in the temple, 
in the public worship of Israel.' In this conclusion, 
then, we rest. In the revelation which God has given 
to his church, we find a collection of divine songs, the 
matter of which, the titles by which they are desig- 
nated, and the use which was originally made of them 
with divine approbation, manifest that the specific 
end for which they were given was, that they should 
be employed in singing God 's praise ; and being com- 
municated to the church by her God and King, for 
this purpose, they should be used in this part of di- 
vine worship. . . . We have already had occasion to 
remark, that in ancient days, on various occasions, in- 
dividuals, under the influence of the spirit of inspira- 
tion, gave expression to the gratitude of their hearts 
in a song of praise. Such songs of praise are found 
in various parts of the Bible. But in process of time, 
a great variety of songs, composed by different men 
on various occasions, were collected together into one 
book, which not only has a place in the volume of in- 
spiration, but to which God himself has given a pe- 
culiar title, 'The Book of Psalms,' or songs of praise. 
The peculiar title of the book designates the end for 
which it was specially intended. And it is a fact which 
deserves particular notice, that some of the songs con- 
tained in the Book of Psalms are found likewise in 
other parts of the Bible. The eighteenth Psalm is 
found in the second book of Samuel, and the ninety- 



THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 27 

sixth and parts of some other psalms are found in the 
second book of Chronicles. Other songs, such as the 
song of Moses at the Red Sea, the song of Deborah and 
Barak and others found in different parts of the Bible, 
are not transferred to the Book of Psalms. And the 
question naturally arises, Why is this distinction 
made ? Why are some of these songs, which are found 
in other parts of the Bible, introduced likewise into 
the Book of Psalms, while others have no place in that 
collection? I can conceive of no answer so satisfac- 
tory as this : that the Book of Psalms being designed 
for permanent use in the worship of God, those songs 
have a place in this book, which in the estimation of 
infinite wisdom were best adapted to the edification 
of the church in all ages. ' ' Dr. Pressly on Psalmody, 
pp. 80, 81, 87, 88. These passages, as well as nearly 
the entire chapters from which they are taken, are en- 
dorsed by the compilers of The True Psalmody; and 
are incorporated into their work. The True Psalm- 
ody, pp. 59, 60, 66, 67. 

1 ' God has given the church a whole book of divine 
songs, inscribed by himself, The Book of Psalms, or 
more literally, The Book of Hymns. This title ob- 
viously denotes the design for which this book has 
been given ; that it should be employed in the solemn 
service of praising God, to the exclusion of everything 
that can only boast a human origin. The idea of 
exclusion is certainly conveyed by the emphatic lan- 
guage, The Psalms, The Book of Psalms/' Preface 
to the Psalms. Dr. Martin, p. 19. 

1 'The very title of the Book of Psalms, and the fact 
that it contains some songs in other parts of Scripture 
and leaves out others, proves that it was given to be 
the exclusive anthology of the Church of Israel. 
Psalm 18 is found 2 Sam. 22, and Psalm 96 and 
Psalm 105 : 1-15 are found 1 Chron. 21, while several 
odes, such as the song at the Ked Sea, the song of 
Deborah and Barak, etc., are not taken into the collec- 
tion of the Book of Psalms, Now, why is this ? Can 



28 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

any other reason be assigned than the obvious one that 
the Holy Spirit designed in the Book of Psalms to 
furnish the Church with a collection of songs which 
should be both sufficient, and exclusively the subject 
matter of the Church's praise !" The Ordinance of 
Praise. By J. Claybaugh, D.D., p. 21. 

' 'After that they were collected into a book and 
placed in the sacred canon by the same authority as 
the other books of the Old Testament— whether by the 
hands of Ezra, which is most probable, or of some 
other person unknown, matters not to the argument. 
Besides the testimony of the Jews, particularly in 
the Septuagint translation, we have the conclusive 
testimony of the Saviour and his apostles that they 
continued to be received and used as a book of praises 
down to their day. 

"But were these the only ones that were given for 
this purpose? We answer, yes. Because— 1. No men- 
tion is made of any others having been used in the 
regular and permanent worship of God ; and 2. What- 
ever others were used occasionally even in the worship 
of God, as the song of Habakkuk, were not designed for 
general use, else they would have been put into this 
divine collection." An Authorized Psalmody. By 
J. G. Carson, D.D., pp. 24, 25. 

' ' This conclusion is confirmed from the matter and 
structure of the Psalms. They are full of praises to 
God for what he is himself, and for his wonderful 
works in creation, providence, and redemption. They 
are written in the peculiar style of Hebrew poetry, so 
that they could be sung or chanted. And this con- 
clusion is still further confirmed by the acknowledged 
fact that the Psalms were used by the Jewish Church 
in the worship of God. No mention is made, by either 
inspired or uninspired writers, of any other. In the 
temple and in the synagogue, down to the time of the 
incarnation and ever since, they have been chanted 
by the children of faithful Abraham. ' ' The Inspired 
Psalmody. By William J. Reid, p. 6. 



TEE BOOK OF PSALMS. 29 

Analyzing these various statements we find that 
they contain two, and only two, arguments in behalf 
of the position for which they are submitted. These 
arguments may be succinctly stated as follows : 1. God, 
having provided a book of praise, has thereby indi- 
cated that it is his will that it be used exclusively in 
the ordinance of praise. 2. Judged by the use made 
of it, such was evidently the light in which the later 
eJewish and early Christian church regarded it. These 
are plausible arguments, and rest upon assumption of 
principles of conceded validity. But at once the ques- 
tions arise: Was this book divinely given as an ex- 
clusive manual of praise? As a matter of fact, did 
the later Jewish and early Christian church so re- 
gard it ? It is manifest that these are questions which 
cannot be answered by appeal exclusively to the 
canonical Scriptures. They cannot for the reason 
that the compilation of the Psalter and the completion 
of the Old Testament canon were practically syn- 
chronous events. This is true whatever may be the 
facts as to the date of those accomplishments, or as 
to the person, or persons, effecting them. And yet 
data for a conclusive answer are not wanting: 

1. As all the above quotations from the writings of 
our brethren indicate, previous to the compilation of 
the Psalter worshippers were not restricted in their 
songs of praise to those now found within it. As all 
recognize, songs other than those contained therein 
were acceptably used in worship. And yet the 
Psalter, as we have it, is simply a combination of a 
number of Psalters previously existing. It is a fact, 
brought to the attention of the ordinary English 



30 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

reader only by the recent revisions of the Bible, that 
the Psalter is itself composed of five books. It is out- 
side our purpose to go into details with regard to 
these. It is enough to note the fact that our present 
Psalter, like some of our modern Gospel hymn books, 
is Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 combined. 1 During the Old 
Testament period the existent Psalter was used, but 
not exclusively. When, in the very beginning of his 
reign, Hezekiah sought to restore his kingdom to its 
normal condition, he "commanded the Levites to sing 
praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of 
Asaph the seer. ' ' 2 Chron. 29 : 30. He then probably 
had Nos. 1 and 2 and possibly uncollected portions of 
No. 3 of our Psalter. But he did not always confine 
himself to these. After his restoration to health he 
himself composed songs for use in the temple worship. 
Isa. 38:20. 2 And still later, probably in the days of 



1<k This is a second edition of the 14th Psalm, with some 
variations. Its occurrence is a strong proof that the present 
book is really a second collection of sacred songs made sub- 
sequently to the first book, since the same collector would 
scarcely have given the same Psalm twice." A Critical and 
Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms with a New 
Translation by James G. Murphy, LL.D., T.C.D., p. 313 in 
note on Ps. 53. See a similar note on p. 378 in connection 
with Ps. 70. 

2 When the above was written the writer was not aware that 
the rendering of Isa. 38: 20 had been challenged. But, by one 
of the authors of The Psalms in Worship, it has been chal- 
lenged so vigorously and effectively that I would withdraw the 
statement but for two reasons: 1. There is something to be 
said in behalf of the rendering of revised versions. The 
charges made indicate that the passage received the special 



THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 31 

Josiah, the prophet Habakkuk did the same thing. 
Hab. 3 : 19. It is evident, too, that some of the songs 
contained in our Psalter are post-exilic. It would seem 
then that all through the Old Testament period, on oc- 
casion, new songs were employed in worship, notwith- 
standing the fact that compilations of former songs ex- 
isted. It was not then a principle of the Old Testament 
dispensation that a Psalter, or compilation of songs, 
precluded the use of other songs not included in it. 

2. There is no command in the New Testament re- 
stricting a worshipper to the Psalter in the service of 
praise. Of course this declaration will be promptly 
and vigorously challenged by our brethren. They will 
reply by citing James 5 : 13 : "Is any merry? let him 
sing psalms." Respecting this Dr. Pressly writes: 

"In what sense is it reasonable to suppose that the 
primitive Christians would understand the apostolic 
direction, 'Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.' To 
assist the plain Christian in determining what is the 
proper answer to this inquiry, let me propose another 
question. When our Lord said to his hearers, ' Search 
the Scriptures, ' in what sense is it to be supposed that 
this direction would be understood ? No one will pre- 
tend that our Lord designed that his hearers should 
understand him as instructing them to prepare writ- 
ings, the matter of which was to be taken from the 

attention of the revisers. One of the authorities quoted by the 
brother — Cheyne — was a member of the British Old Testament 
Revision Committee. If the case is as clear as the brother 
maintains, it seems strange that both the British and Ameri- 
can revisers should render as they do. 2. The retention of the 
statement gives me opportunity to say that I lay no stress 
upon the case. There are a sufficient number of conceded cases 
to establish my argument, as I shall note later. 



32 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

Bible, which they might consult for their improve- 
ment, instead of searching the Holy Scriptures for 
their edification. Equally unreasonable would it be 
to suppose that the apostolic direction, with regard to 
singing psalms, could be understood by the primitive 
Christians as authorizing them to prepare psalms 
to be used in the worship of God, instead of those 
which he himself had provided in his word. As the 
command of Christ, ' Search the Scriptures,' sup- 
poses that there were in existence sacred writings, with 
which those to whom the command was addressed 
were acquainted, so the apostolic direction, 'sing 
psalms, ' supposes that there were psalms in existence 
which those to whom the direction was given were to 
use. Those Christians to whom the words of the 
Apostle James were originally addressed knew full 
well that among the sacred writings which God had 
given to his church, there was a ' Book of Psalms. ' And 
the exhortation to sing psalms would naturally be un- 
derstood by them as a direction to make use of the 
psalms which the Spirit of infinite wisdom had already 
provided." Dr. Pressly on Psalmody, pp. 84, 85. 

It is evident at a glance that this whole statement 
is based upon the idea that in the exhortation of the 
apostle we have a transitive verb and its object noun. 
But as we have already seen, in another connection- 
pages 19, 20— this is not the case. The assumption 
then being a mistaken one the inference based upon 
it is invalidated. 

There are two other texts to which, with less con- 
fidence, some of our brethren appeal. 1 But these, for 
reasons, will be reserved for special treatment in the 
next chapter. 

^ne brother cites 1 Chron. 16:4,7; 2 Chron. 29:30; Ps. 
105:2; 95:1,2; Neh. 12:24. 



TEE BOOK OF PSALMS. 33 

3. We have no direct scriptural warrant for the 
belief that our Saviour himself ever sang a Psalm. 
So far as I recall, the only occasion on which it is im- 
pliedly asserted that Jesus sang was in connection 
with the observance of the last passover. And then 
the expression is, "When they had sung an hymn," 
literally, having hymned. Matt. 26:30. Now I do 
not for a moment intend even to suggest the possi- 
bility that it was a hymn, in the modern sense, that 
Jesus then sang. It was without doubt the Egyptian, 
or common, Hallel of the Jews, which consisted of the 
six Psalms — 113-118 inclusive. We all so believe. 
But we so believe because of our knowledge of con- 
temporaneous Jewish custom. And this knowledge 
of their custom comes, not from canonical scripture 
of either Old or New Testament, but from contempo- 
rary Jewish literature. 

4. In the times of our Saviour the Jews did not con- 
fine themselves to the Psalms in their praise service. 
This same contemporary literature which assures us 
that Jesus and his disciples sang Psalms at the last 
passover also assures us that the Jews sang songs 
other than Psalms in their stated Sabbath services. 

"The Sabbath service was in every respect the same 
as on other days, except that at the close of the 
ordinary morning sacrifice an additional offering of 
two lambs, with its appropriate meat and drink- 
offering, was brought. When the drink-offering of 
the ordinary morning sacrifice was poured out, the 
Levites sang Psa. 92 in three sections, the priests 
drawing, at the close of each, three blasts from their 
trumpets, and the people worshipping. At the close 
of the additional Sabbath sacrifice, when its drink- 



34 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

offering was brought, the Levites sang the 'Song of 
Moses' in Deut. 32. This k hymn' was divided into 
six portions, for as many Sabbaths (verses 1-6; 7-12; 
13-18; 19-28; 29-39; 40 to end). Each portion was 
sung in three sections, with threefold blasts of the 
priests' trumpets, the people worshipping at each 
pause. If a Sabbath and a 'New Moon' fell on the 
same day, the Sabbath hymn was sung in preference 
to that for the new moon ; if a feast day fell on a Sab- 
bath, the Sabbath sacrifice w T as offered before that 
prescribed for the day. At the evening sacrifice on 
the Sabbath the song of Moses in Ex. 15 was sung." 
The Temple, Its Ministry and Services, as they were 
at the time of Jesus Christ. By Alfred Edersheim, 
D.D., pp. 158, 159. 

It thus becomes manifest that the most plausible of 
all the arguments of our brethren in behalf of the 
exclusive use of the "Psalms of David" in the formal 
worship of God is utterly without historical justifi- 
cation. 1 



3 The argument traversed in this chapter had fresh, scholarly, 
and somewhat original presentation in a paper read at the 
Pittsburgh Psalmody Convention. It is found in The Psalms 
in Worship, pp. 72-90. 

(A) In his opening paragraph the writer asks and answers 
thus: 

"Was the Psalter used in divine worship in the Old 
Testament church? Were the Psalms used in connection with 
the services of the temple and the synagogue? Were they used 
exclusively in these services? If these questions can be an- 
swered in the affirmative, then we have solid ground on which 
to build. If these questions cannot be answered in the affirma- 
tive, then there is an impairment of the foundation on which 
our doctrine of the exclusive use of the Psalms stands. In a 
sense this question may be said to 'be the crux of the whole 
discussion about Psalmody.' " 



THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 35 

This is very true. The reader will note that there are three 
questions. The two first we answer affirmatively as unhesi- 
tatingly as our brethren. 1 The whole controversy then lies 
about the answer to the third one. 

(B) The next paragraph reads as follows: 

"The Psalter, like the Bible, was a growth. David may be 
called the father of Psalmody. He left the impress of his in- 
spired genius on the whole subject of temple praise. To the 
Davidic collection of Psalms others were added in the days of 
Isaiah and Jeremiah. The period of the Exile was prolific of 
Psalmody, as it also was of prophetic and historical literature. 
But the greatest number of Psalms were written after the 
Babylonian Exile, during the Restoration Period, as it is called. 
Just when the last Psalms were written we do not know. Most 
modern authorities and some older ones, e.g., John Calvin, 
are disposed to make the Seventy-Fourth and others to be 
as late as the Maccabean times. We may most safely con- 
clude that the Psalms were all written and collected into the 
Psalter previous to 100 B.C., and probably at a much earlier 
date. Whatever view we take as to the date of the completion 
of the Psalter, it is apparent that it was a matter of growth. 
Psalms were written by David and others as they were moved 
by the Holy Ghost. These Psalms were gathered into little 
hymnals from time to time. Combinations of these hymnals 
were made until there were five Psalm books. Finally these five 
were combined into one Psalter, our present Book of Psalms." 

Barring a perhaps too generous acceptance of the results 
of modern criticism in respect to the authorship and date of 
the Psalms, this is an admirable statement of the facts in the 
case, and fully confirms what has been written above respect- 
ing the formation of the Psalter. 

(0) The writer then proceeds to answer the three questions 
propounded in the first of the two paragraphs just quoted. As 
the answer to the two first questions is not disputed, we 
pass to the answer to the third one. The conclusion reached 
is stated as follows: 



Except as to praise in the synagogue prior to the destruction of the temple. 
The point is wholly immaterial here, but I accept the testimony of Edersheim. 



36 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

"Now what have we, on good authority, as having been sung 
in the service of the temple in addition to the Psalms? The 
two songs of Moses, and probably the song of Habakkuk — all 
three of them inspired material, and all found in the Bible. 
How much basis this little mite for the making of hymn books 
of human composition for use in the worship of God! There 
might have been a dozen other inspired songs sung in the 
temple without affecting our position in the least. These songs 
of Moses and Habakkuk were inspired songs. Our claim is 
for an inspired Psalmody. We are not averse to the singing 
of inspired songs wherever found, such as the songs of Moses. 
We do not believe that they will ever be sung. The singing of 
inspired songs other than the Psalms has never been a practical 
question. It will never be a practical question, for there are 
less than a score of such songs in the entire Bible that could 
be sung. The raising of this question of the singing of in- 
spired songs other than those found in the Psalter has always 
been a mere quibble. Those who have raised it have never 
attempted to have them sung. They have never desired to 
have them sung." 

This is a remarkable paragraph, and is deserving of careful 
consideration. 

1. Its characterization of the argument of hymn singers as 
"a mere quibble" is an unhappy one. It ceases to be simply 
disparagement of an argument and becomes as well impeach- 
ment of one's opponent. 

2. Despite the writer's protest, the concession that songs 
other than Psalms were sung in the temple service does affect 
"our position" very seriously. The question is as to the "ex- 
clusive" use of the Psalms in the temple worship; and the 
writer has said, in the paragraph above quoted, that if this 
cannot be answered affirmatively the foundation of their doc- 
trine is impaired. He does not — cannot — answer it affirma- 
tively; and yet says, substantially, "our position is not affected 
in the least." 

3. The writer's assertion "Our claim is for an inspired 
Psalmody. We are not averse to the singing of inspired songs 
wherever found, such as the songs of Moses," does not har- 



THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 37 

monize with the actual argumentation of our brethren. An- 
other brother, in treating of The Scriptural Laws of Worship 
in a paper presented to the Chicago Convention, writes as 
follows: "With respect therefore to the Scriptural law of 
worship, I submit the following proposition, viz.: I. What- 
soever is not commanded in the Scriptures is forbidden. 
II. The Bible Psalter alone is commanded to be used in the 
praise service in the worship of God. III. Therefore, all matter 
of praise besides the Bible Psalter is by the Scriptural law 
of worship forbidden to be used in the praise service in the 
worship of God. . . . According to this law, a lyric, to be 
eligible to the praise service in the worship of God, must have 
these two requisites and qualifications, viz. : divine authoriza- 
tion and divine inspiration. Paraphrases and poems from 
other books of the Bible are excluded by the Scriptural law of 
worship from the praise service in God's worship for reasons 
such as these: 1. Other parts of Scripture are equally in- 
spired with the Psalter, but they have no seal of divine ap- 
pointment for purposes of praise." The Psalms in Worship, 
pp. 32, 33, 37. 

4. Two things are to be said in reference to the writer's 
exclamation, "How much basis this little mite for the making 
of hymn books of human composition for use in the worship of 
God!" 

{a) It is not a "little mite." By his own concession, relying 
upon the testimony of Lightfoot in "The Temple Service," 
songs other than those in the Psalter were regularly sung at 
the morning and evening sacrifice every weekly Sabbath. 
Lightfoot's testimony is the same as that of Edersheim already 
quoted. Besides, he concedes that Habakkuk's song was also 
probably sung. 

(6) It does not furnish any basis for uninspired hymns. We 
do not claim that it does. That is not the point presently in 
dispute. The point is as to the exclusive use of the songs of 
the Psalter in the temple worship. If any United Presbyterian 
church should, regularly every Lord's day, in addition to the 
Psalms, sing a hymn at both the morning and evening service, 
it could not be said of it that it used the Psalms exclusively 



38 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

in its worship. That is the point. The Psalter was not a 
manual to which the Old Testament church was confined. 

5. The point respecting the use of songs other than those in 
the Psalter is not "a mere quibble." (a) Dr. J. B. Johnston's 
book on Psalmody, from which quotations have been given — a 
book of 172 pages — was written in avowed advocacy of an in- 
spired as distinguished from an authorized Psalmody. (&) The 
principle does not have reference merely to the technically 
lyrical portions of the Scriptures, but is designed to include 
the "paraphrases." These are a collection of sixty-seven 
metrical renderings of various portions of the Scriptures — 
thirty-two of them taken from the Old and thirty- five from the 
New Testament. They were formerly bound up along with 
Rouse's version of the Psalms in the Bibles and Testaments 
imported from Britain. For generations they were used along 
with the Psalms in the British churches, and to some extent 
are so used to this day. Although they have never been much 
used in this country, the fact of their use in the mother 
country and her colonies made the Psalm-singing churches 
slow to exclude them on principle from the lawful songs of 
praise. In fact, as Dr. Johnston asserts, they have never 
done so. 

In fact, it was a question in regard to songs other than the 
Psalms addressed to me by an intelligent parishioner of Asso- 
ciate training that first led me to serious thinking on the 
Psalmody question. I was in my first charge, and had preached 
my first Psalmody sermon. The moment I came out of the 
pulpit he met me and questioned me. I told him I would think 
about it. That ended the matter so far as he was concerned, 
for we never spoke of it afterward; but a question was raised 
which for a long time remained without definite answer. 

The reader is now prepared to appreciate the statement made 
at the close of my first chapter. As developed in this con- 
troversy, the phrases "an authorized Psalmody" and "an 
inspired Psalmody" designate, logically regarded, two quite 
different things. Concession that songs other than those con- 
tained in the Psalter were regularly used in the temple service 
long after the Psalter, as we now have it, was compiled, not 



THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 39 

only impairs the argument in behalf of the Psalter as the ex- 
clusive manual of praise — it invalidates it. 

By the way, the concession of this paper is respectfully 
called to the attention of the brother who writes: "The hymns 
contained in the Psalter were the only matter of praise in the 
formal worship of the Old Testament church. It seems entirely 
safe to affirm this without any hesitation. There is no hint 
or trace, either in the Bible or in Jewish tradition, of other 
songs being used in worship. While there are other highly- 
wrought pieces of devotional poetry in the Old Testament out- 
side the Book of Psalms, the indications seem to be clear that 
these were not used as the matter of praise in the formal 
worship of God." The Psalms in Worship, p. 52. 



CHAPTER IV. 

PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

There are two very similar texts in the New Testa- 
ment that together definitely determine its teaching 
in reference to Psalmody. These are Eph. 5:18- 
20, and Col. 3:16. They read as follows: "And 
be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot ; but be filled 
with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms 
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making 
melody with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks 
always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ to God, even the Father, subjecting yourselves 
one to another in the fear of Christ." "Let the word 
of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching 
and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns 
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts 
unto God." 

We have already noted the fact that there are three 
theories of Psalmody. We have designated these as 
the Davidic or Authorized, the Scripture or In- 
spired, and the Scriptural or Evangelical. Now which 
of these teachings, or systems, is justified by these 
passages? Let us examine and determine. 

1. the davidic or authorized psalmody. 

Most of our Psalm-singing brethren claim, with 
more or less confidence, that these passages warrant, if 
they do not even require, the exclusive use of the 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 41 

Psalms of David in formal worship. Their position is 
thus stated by representative writers: 

"To what does the apostle refer when he employs 
the terms, 'psalms, hymns and spiritual songs'? 
Various attempts have been made by expositors to 
designate the distinction between the compositions 
indicated by these different terms. There seems, how- 
ever, to be no means of arriving at any certain con- 
clusion. And the probability is, that while there is 
doubtless a shade of distinction between them, these 
different terms indicate sacred songs which are sub- 
stantially the same. Between them there is probably 
about the same difference as exists between the terms 
laws and statutes and judgments, in application to the 
word of God. 

"But still the apostle must have had some partic- 
ular design in employing these different terms; and 
it is to be supposed that the Colossians would under- 
stand to what he referred. To what, then, may we 
suppose, did the apostle refer when he directed the 
Colossians to teach and admonish one another in 
'psalms and hymns and spiritual songs'? In reply 
to this inquiry, I would say that it is well known that 
there were in existence such sacred songs. There was 
at that time in the possession of the church a book of 
divine songs, which constituted a part of the word of 
God or the word of Christ. And in the Greek transla- 
tion, called the Septuagint, which was then in common 
use, we find the very terms which are here employed. 
In some of the titles prefixed to the psalms we find one 
of these terms ; in others, two of them ; and in the title 
of the 76th Psalm all three occur. And from the fact 
that these different terms are applied to the same 
psalm, the opinion seems to be confirmed, that what- 
ever shade of distinction may exist between them, they 
are substantially of the same import. But what the 
reader is particularly desired to notice is, that when 



42 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

this direction was given to the Colossians, they had in 
their possession such divine songs as are here men- 
tioned. They are exhorted to teach and admonish one 
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs ; and 
we know that they had such in their possession, which 
were the productions of the Spirit of inspiration. And 
if any songs are worthy of the epithet 'spiritual,' 
surely it is appropriate to those which are the songs 
of the Spirit. Such sacred songs, we know, were in 
existence ; such were then in the possession of the Col- 
ossians ; and to such we believe the apostle referred. ' ' 
Dr. Pressly on Psalmody, pp. 140, 141. 

''But we are referred to Col. 3 :16 ; and to the paral- 
lel place, Eph. 5 :19. Now, here, we are told, the 
apostle enjoins hymns and spiritual songs, as well as 
psalms. Surely here is plain proof. Really! Just 
as if there were no hymns and spiritual songs in the 
book of Psalms. It may be well to remind the reader 
that in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testa- 
ment, which was the one in use in gentile countries, 
and from which the apostles generally quoted, and 
from which the Ephesians and Colossians doubtless 
read, the psalms have all these titles, many being 
called Psalmos, or a psalm, others hamnos, or a hymn, 
and others ode, or a song. ... In Ps. 72 : 20, 
which closes one of the divisions of the Book of 
Psalms, we read, 'The hymns of David, the son of 
Jesse, are ended.' The psalms from 120 to 134 in- 
clusive are entitled odes or songs. In Chronicles and 
Nehemiah they are often called hymns and songs, and 
the singing of them is called hymning. Josephus 
speaks of them in similar terms ; and Eusebius, quot- 
ing Ps. 33:9 calls David 'a prophet discoursing of 
God in his hymns. 9 Then it is plain that in the Book 
of Psalms the Christians of Ephesus and Colosse 
could find the whole variety of sacred poesy which the 
apostle enjoined them to use, instead of singing the 
bacchanalian and libidinous songs used by their gen- 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 43 

tile neighbors, and by themselves in their former gen- 
tile state." The Ordinance of Praise. By J. Clay- 
baugh, D.D., pp. 28, 29. 

"But there is no evidence that the hymns or 
spiritual songs were anything different from the 
Psalms. A Psalm is a hymn, and a hymn is a spiritual 
song. In the titles prefixed to the Psalms in our 
Bibles, some are called ' Psalms,' and some ' Psalms or 
songs'; and there are in the original several different 
words which are all translated Psalms. Hebrew 
scholars are not agreed as to the exact difference in 
the meaning of these different words, but the transla- 
tors of the Septuagint have rendered them by the 
terms, 'Psalms, Hymns and Odes,' or spiritual songs. 
Hence these terms passed into common use among 
those who were familiar with the Septuagint, not to 
describe different Psalters, but different parts of the 
same Psalter ; and this is, no doubt, the sense in which 
the apostle used these terms in the text, for the Septua- 
gint was the version of the Old Testament which was 
generally used by the Christians to whom he was writ- 
ing. As if he had said : ' Speak to yourselves in the 
various Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, which are 
to be found in the inspired Book of Psalms.' " The 
Inspired Psalmody. By William J. Reid, p. 10. 

Such are the statements. I have too great respect 
for the memory of those who made them, the first of 
whom was a revered professor, at whose feet I sat in 
the seminary; the second, an uncle, and the third an 
esteemed personal friend— to say that they are not 
wholly true. But I must say, they are not strictly 
accurate ; and hence are actually, though by no means 
intentionally, misleading. But passing this let us 
notice the statements somewhat in detail : 

1. At first it seems strange that if the apostle 
meant to confine his readers to the Book of Psalms 



44 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

that he uses such circumlocution to express his mean- 
ing. See Luke 20 : 42 ; Acts 13 : 33, 35. 

2. I can think of no principle of nomenclature that 
would lead him so to designate the Book of Psalms 
or its contents. We can understand why the contents 
of the Pentateuch should at times be spoken of as 
laws, statutes, judgments, etc., for the terms have 
specific meaning. We can understand, too, why some- 
times an apostle speaks of body, soul and spirit. But 
I know of no reason why the contents of the Psalter, 
even in the Septuagint, should be designated as 
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. These terms in 
no way comprehend the terms used in the titles of 
the Psalms in the Septuagint. There are some nine 
or ten terms that are used, and one of these— alleluia 
—occurs far more frequently than does humnos. 

3. It is noticeable that the third term in the Septua- 
gint is Ode, but in the texts it is spiritual ode or song. 
The word spiritual does not occur at all in the titles 
of the Psalms in the Septuagint. In fact, for that 
matter, if our concordances are to be trusted, it does 
not occur in the Septuagint at all, nor even in any 
Greek version of the Old Testament. Strictly speak- 
ing, humnos, or hymn, does not occur in the titles. It 
occurs in the phrase which, in the Septuagint, cor- 
responds to our phrase To the chief musician; but, 
so far as I have observed after careful examination, 
it does not occur as a designation of a Psalm. The 
correspondence then between the terms in our texts 
and the titles in the Septuagint is not so exact as these 
statements would naturally lead one to expect. 

4. The word spiritual is usually interpreted as be- 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 45 

ing here equivalent to the word inspired. If the 
apostle referred exclusively to the Psalms, why use 
this word? It was not required by its use in the 
Septuagint, for it is not found there. * It was not re- 
quired to designate the inspiration of a Psalter song, 
for it already had a double certificate of inspiration- 
its original utterance and its inclusion by inspiration 
in an inspired book. 

For these reasons we must reject these statements 
as being unsatisfactory, and conclude that whatever 
the apostle meant by these texts he did not mean to 
teach the doctrine of a Davidic Psalmody. 

2. A SCRIPTURE, OR AN INSPIRED PSALMODY. 

A minority of our Psalm-singing brethren plead 
only for an inspired Psalmody. In other words, while 
willing to go for matter of praise beyond the one hun- 
dred and fifty Psalms, they contend that we must not 
go beyond the inspired Scriptures. Songs other than 
Psalms may be sung in formal worship, but they must 
be inspired songs— songs found within the canonical 
Scriptures. Two works whose writers maintain this 
view are before me. Here is the way they state their 
position : 

4 'Now, this is the sum of the issue here : God's Bible 
commands all, individually and socially, to praise him. 
The family, the prayer-meeting, the congregation as- 
sembled, are commanded to sing praise. And for 
every family God has given the Bible to be used for 
all purposes for which he gave it; to be read and 
to be sting in the worship of God at the family altar. 
So, to every prayer-meeting he has given the Bible 
to be used for the same purposes, in the social wor- 



46 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

ship. And in like manner to every worshipping con- 
gregation for similar uses. Then, every family, 
prayer-meeting, congregation, is furnished by the head 
of the church with suitable songs to be sung, with 
* authority' to sing them and with ample directions 
how they must be sung. . . . One thing, however, 
we cannot ignore. We disclaim all authority and right 
to make and use uninspired songs of praise in the 
formal worship of God. Here we stand still, and feel 
that we cannot proceed beyond the use of the inspired 
songs of the Bible in the worship of God, till our 
brethren show us the divine way clearly marked. Here 
they diverge from the way, or advance and leave us, 
under the assumed authority and right of making, 
authorizing, and using in worship songs uninspired — 
songs that will incorporate, in their own way of stat- 
ing them, the essential doctrines of the Bible, so as to 
operate as a test of orthodoxy, as far as in their judg- 
ment essentials are concerned." . . . 

In reference to the passages in Ephesians and 
Colossians now under consideration he says: 

"1. It is not true that we assert those churches had 
David's Psalms, and had no other. 2. It is not true 
that we assert that these churches certainly under- 
stood the apostle as speaking of the 'Book of Psalms 
alone/ These churches had the whole Old Testament, 
and may have understood the apostle as speaking of 
all the Psalms of the Bible, so far as then known, to 
compose the Psalmody of all the churches. ' ' Psalmody. 
By J. B. Johnston, pp. 77, 78, 82, 89, 90. 

"The true and only question then before us is, 
Have we any reason for supposing that the 'hymns' 
and 'spiritual songs' here mentioned are anything 
different from the ' psalms ' ? It will not do to assume 
a difference. That difference must be proved in order 
to justify a resort to these passages as authorizing the 
use of anything else than the Book of Psalms. The 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 47 

reader will notice here that the burden of proof rests 
on those who take the position, that the hymns and 
spiritual songs here mentioned are such as are not con- 
tained in the word of God. . . . Perhaps you will 
be ready to say, are the ' psalms, and hymns, and 
spiritual songs' mentioned by the apostle only differ- 
ent names for the same things ? Suppose we say, yes ? 
How will you prove that they are not? . . . But sup- 
pose we say, no— they do not mean the same thing; 
psalms are not just the same as hymns, and hymns 
are not just the same as spiritual songs. What then? 
Why it appears that there is a difference. But the 
question still recurs, what is that difference? Is it 
the difference which exists between w T hat is inspired 
and what is not inspired? Do you not plainly see 
that unless you prove such a difference as this, you 
have not touched the question at issue between us? 
We may imagine a thousand differences, but they have 
no relevancy to the point before us ; unless they go to 
show that these names are designed to express what is 
inspired and what is not inspired. Now, reader, this 
you can never do. You may try it as long as you 
please, but you will fail in every effort. . . . But 
have the friends of an inspired psalmody nothing to 
support their position, that the apostle, by these three 
terms, refers to the same thing, or at least that he 
does not, by hymns and spiritual songs, mean those 
which are not inspired ? ... It is generally supposed 
that the apostle made use of the Septuagint version 
of the Scriptures. With this version the Ephesians 
and Colossians, being Greeks, were no doubt familiar. 
Let us open then this version of the Psalms, and we 
will find some of them bearing the title of a psalm, 
others of a hymn, and others of a song exactly corre- 
sponding to the three Hebrew titles, Mizmar, Tehilla 
and Shir. These words in the Septuagint are the 
very same as those which are employed by the apostle 
when he directs the Ephesians and Colossians to 'sing 



48 TEE PSALMODY QV EST ION. 

psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.' Will the reader 
then look at this, and ask himself whether the proba- 
bilities in favor of our interpretation of this passage 
are not such as almost to amount to a moral certainty. 
. . . These songs are called 'spiritual songs.' The 
heathen made use of odes. In order to distinguish 
those which the apostle would have them to use, he 
calls them 'spiritual.' Now we apprehend that there 
is, in the use of this term, a proof that the songs re- 
ferred to by the apostle were those contained in the 
Scriptures. . . . Another reason for this interpreta- 
tion is that the apostle directs to the use of these 
' psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, ' as the means of 
being ' filled with the Spirit.' Now is not the word 
of God, the very word of God, the means which he 
makes use of in filling the hearts of his people? . . . 
We find that the apostle directs to the singing of 
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, as the means of 
letting 'the Word of Christ dwell in them richly in 
all wisdom.' Guyse has a sermon on this text, en- 
titled 'The Scriptures the Word of Christ,' ... In 
it he * infers that the word of Christ . . . includes not 
only the New, but also the Old Testament Scriptures. ' 
He remarks, ' It is in this most extensive view that our 
apostle seems to take it, by his speaking, in the re- 
mainder of the verse, of teaching and admonishing 
one another in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, 
which look with a very strong aspect toward the Old 
Testament writings, some of which are set forth under 
these titles.' Add to this the consideration that but 
a part of the New Testament Scriptures was written 
at this time, so that we may readily suppose that the 
reference of the apostle is to the psalms, hymns and 
spiritual songs' of the Old Testament Scriptures. At 
all events they must be such as belonged to the Scrip- 
tures, and this is all for which we are now contend- 
ing." Dr. Joseph T. Cooper in The True Psalmody, 
pp. 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93. 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 49 

Before noticing these statements controversially two 
or three general observations may properly be made. 

1. The quotations from Dr. Johnston reveal his 
position, but hardly his argument. This is theological 
rather than exegetical, and is diffused through the 
whole doctrinal part of his book. It is nowhere crys- 
tallized into a comprehensive and concise statement. 
I have not been able to find a paragraph the quotation 
of which would clearly and fairly present his argu- 
ment. His general thought is that all acceptable wor- 
ship is inspired, and conversely that only inspired 
worship is acceptable. He takes up preaching, 
prayer and praise, and treats at length of their re- 
semblances and differences. In preaching we have 
an inspired text and an uninspired sermon, though 
delivered by a duly commissioned preacher. In 
prayer we have inspired desires for which the wor- 
shipper is to find suitable words. In praise we have 
inspired words to which the worshipper is to bring 
correspondent feelings and affections. A brief quota- 
tion respecting the two latter will reveal alike his 
method and his thought. ' ' The Holy Spirit in prayer 
indites the thoughts sent from the heart in words. 
These tvords must be subordinated to the inward in- 
spiration of desires. The same spirit in praise indites 
the words of the song, which command corresponding 
thoughts within, formed by the images of the thougths 
of the Spirit in the inspired words. Images or ideas 
in the heart must here correspond to their forms in 
the Book. Instead, therefore, of making our own 
prayers and our own praises as well, we neither can 
nor may make either/ ' Psalmody, pp. 39, 40. 



50 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

The quotations from Dr. Cooper reveal clearly and 
quite fully both his position and his argument. His 
position is seen to be a shifting one. It is now for a 
Davidic and next moment for an inspired Psalmody. 
He really strives to put the matter in the form of 
a dilemma, and compel us to choose one or other of its 
horns. But as he says, at the close, that all that he 
is contending for is the exclusive use of inspired songs, 
I place him with Dr. Johnston, who is an open and 
avowed advocate of that position. 

Avoiding alike repetition of what has been said 
above and anticipation of what may more properly 
be said below I remark: 

1. It seems like a disregard of Christ's teaching 
about putting new wine into old wine-skins to limit 
these words, as these brethren practically do to the 
Old Testament Scriptures. Look at the matter a mo- 
ment. According to the generally accepted dates of 
the books of the New Testament, not one of the Gospels 
was written at this time, and of the Epistles only 
those to the Thessalonians, Corinthians, Romans and 
possibly that of James. Apostles and Evangelists 
were going up and down the country teaching that 
Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, telling what he 
taught and what he enjoined. Now the apostle urges 
these Christians to let the word of this Christ dwell 
in them richly; and yet in doing so in their singing 
they must confine themselves to songs written cen- 
turies before. This was not usual under the Old 
Testament dispensation. It does not seem reasonable 
under the New. 

2. A full reply with regard to the word spiritual 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 51 

must be postponed till we take up the next point. It 
is enough to say that it never means inspired in the 
accepted theological signification of the term. For 
these reasons, then, as well as for further and fuller 
ones yet to be given, this position must be regarded 
as untenable. 

3. A SCRIPTURAL, OR EVANGELICAL, PSALMODY. 

Before entering upon the consideration of this 
theory of Psalmody let it be noted that it is not a sys- 
tem separate and distinct from those already ex- 
amined. It embraces them both. The real distinction 
between these different systems of Psalmody is found 
in their exclusiveness, or comprehensiveness. The 
Davidic system excludes both the others. The Scrip- 
ture, or Inspired, system includes the Davidic, but ex- 
cludes the Scriptural, or Evangelical, system. The 
Scriptural, or Evangelical, system excludes neither of 
the others, but comprehends them both. For this 
reason in the maintenance of this system against the 
opposition of the others neither glorification nor dis- 
paragement of the Psalms or other lyrical portions of 
the Scriptures is logically legitimate. As a part of the 
argumentation both are utterly irrevelant. It is true 
that, as a matter of fact, real versions of the Davidic 
Psalms are largely absent from current hymnody. 
But there is large and increasing use of the Psalms 
and other lyrical portions in responsive readings, and 
in chants and anthems. But, after all, be the practice 
what it may in principle, the Scriptural hymnology 
is comprehensive of both the other systems. 



52 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

With these general observations let us now pass to 
a careful consideration of the two passages before us. 
Of the two texts the one in Colossians is the more 
comprehensive. But both will be considered. 

1. The first exhortation is: "Let the word of Christ 
dw r ell in you richly.' ' What is the word of Christ? 
Or, rather, what would the Colossians understand 
Paul to mean by the expression? There are two pas- 
sages in the New Testament which seem to give a very 
clear and definite answer. In his address to Cornelius 
and his friends at Caesarea, Peter says : * ' Of a truth 
I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in 
every nation he that feareth him and worketh 
righteousness is acceptable to him. The word which 
he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching good tid- 
ings of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 
that saying ye yourselves know, which was published 
throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after 
the baptism which John preached; even Jesus of 
Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy 
Spirit and with power, who went about doing good, 
and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for 
God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things 
which he did both in the country of the Jews and in 
Jerusalem, whom also they slew, hanging him on a 
tree. Him God raised up the third day, and gave him 
to be made manifest, not to all the people, but unto 
witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, 
who ate and drank with him after he rose from the 
dead. And he charged us to preach unto the people, 
and to testify that this is he who is ordained of God 
to be the Judge of the living and the dead. To him 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 53 

bear all the prophets witness, that through his name 
every one that believeth on him shall receive remission 
of sins." Acts 10:34-43. In the First Epistle of 
Peter there is a passage too long to be quoted here, 
which, considered as a summary of the Gospel message, 
is in its broad outlines similar to this passage; and 
it closes with these words: "And this is the word of 
good tidings which was preached unto you." 1 Pet. 
1 : 12-25. In a word, the word of Christ here is the 
Gospel story respecting Christ. 

2. They were exhorted to let this word dwell in them 
richly, in order to fit them for the discharge of a duty, 
or the rendering of a service, which is immediately 
indicated. It is "teaching and admonishing one an- 
other.' ' It is noticeable here that it is not praising, 
but teaching to which they are exhorted. It is not 
the glorifying of God, but the edifying of one another 
to which they are called. And yet, according to our 
brethren, this is not the function of the ordinance of 
praise. With regard to this Dr. Pressly says : 

1 ' In prayer, we come to God to ask for those things 
which we need; but in praise, we ascribe to him the 
glory which is due unto his name. As our situation 
and circumstances are ever varying, our wants are 
very different at one time from what they are at an- 
other. Our petitions must consequently be framed 
in accordance with our wants. But God is unchange- 
able, and his praise is always the same. . . . And what 
ascriptions of glory are due to him, the Spirit of God 
has declared in those psalms, and hymns and songs 
which are the productions of his infinite wisdom.' ' 
Dr. Pressly on Psalmody, pp. 120, 121. Quoted with 
endorsement in The True Psalmody, pp. 126, 127. 



54 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

But even the Psalms themselves do not bear out this 
conception of the function of the ordinance of praise. 
In his comment on the title of Psalm 14 Spurgeon 
says: 

"Several of these Psalms have little or no praise in 
them, and were not addressed directly to the Most 
High, and yet were to be sung in public worship, 
which is a clear indication that the theory of Au- 
gustine lately revived by certain hymn-book makers, 
that nothing but praise should be sung, is far more 
plausible than scriptural. Not only did the ancient 
church chant hallowed doctrine and offer prayer amid 
her spiritual songs, but even the wailing notes of 
complaint were put into her mouth by the sweet singer 
of Israel, who was inspired of God. Some persons 
grasp at any nicety which has a gloss of apparent cor- 
rectness upon it, and are pleased with being more 
fancifully precise than others; nevertheless, it will 
ever be the way of plain men, not only to magnify the 
Lord in sacred canticles, but, also, according to Paul's 
precept, to teach and admonish one another in Psalms 
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace 
in their hearts unto the Lord." Treasury of David, 
Vol. I., p. 179. Spurgeon makes a very similar com- 
ment in his introduction to the 82d Psalm. 

Psalmody then is to be used as a means of instruct- 
ing and admonishing men as well as of praising God. 
If so its character is to be judged by its fitness for 
serving such a purpose as well as for that of glorifying 
God. 

3. The apostle indicates the instrumentality by 
which the service is to be rendered. It is by the use of 
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Now to what 
would these Colossians and Ephesians suppose the 
apostle to have reference? 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 55 

(a) That his words included the Psalms of David 
none dispute. It was a collection of songs which 
would necessarily soon come to the knowledge of even 
those who came out of heathenism to Christ. And the 
frequent references to it in the apostolic teaching, as 
revealed in the New Testament, indicate that it would 
be utilized in the inculcation of Christian truth. 

(6) But the real question is, would they understand 
him as restricting them to the Psalms of David in their 
religious singing? This question has already been 
answered in the negative. But let us present the 
whole matter more fully. 

1. If there were any principle by the application 
of which the Book of Psalms could be intelligently so 
designated it might be supposed that it is indicated 
by these terms. We can understand the apostle when 
he speaks of body, soul and spirit, for there is a tri- 
partite theory of the constitution of man. But there is 
no principle, so far as I can see, for a designation of 
the Psalter by these three terms. 

2. The introduction of the word " spiritual' ' ab- 
solutely precludes the limitation of these terms to the 
songs of the Psalter : (a) Because the word nowhere oc- 
curs in the titles of the Psalms as found in the Septua- 
gint. The word does not even occur anywhere in the 
Septuagint. ( b ) If the ' ' song ' ' was one of the Psalms 
it was inspired, and did not need the descriptive word. 

(c) Did the apostle mean to limit the songs to those 
of the inspired Scriptures? 

1. Why then use three terms when two would have 
served better ? There is a dual conception of human 
nature, and there are words that intelligibly express 



56 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

that conception, and, when used, always imply it. 
They are soul and body, or body and spirit. The use 
of three terms presumptively— I do not say con- 
clusively—indicates a threefold character of some kind 
in Christian Psalmody. 

2. Why then describe the songs as ' ' spiritual' ' ? 
Does spiritual mean ' ' inspired, ' ' as that term is under- 
stood in theological parlance? Let us recall some 
uses of the word by this same apostle. "If the Gen- 
tiles have been made partakers of their spiritual 
things, they owe it to them also to minister unto them 
in carnal things." Rom. 15:27. "And I, brethren, 
could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as 
unto carnal.' ' 1 Cor. 3 : 1. "Brethren, even if a man 
be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, re- 
store such a one." Gal. 6:1. In Eph. 6:12, the 
very next chapter to that in which one of our texts 
is found, he speaks of "the spiritual hosts of wicked- 
ness." No, brethren, "spiritual songs" do not des- 
ignate "inspired songs," as that w r ord is used in the- 
ological teaching. 

3. Besides, if "spiritual" means "inspired," then 
by parity of reasoning to be filled with the Spirit is 
to be possessed of the gift of inspiration. Spiritual 
men become inspired men, for surely Spirit-filled men 
are spiritual men. No, the thought is: instead of 
revelling in old pleasures, inflamed by wine, yield to 
the Spirit and seek mutual edification in songs that de- 
velop and strengthen the virtues graciously implanted 
in your hearts by the Spirit. 

(d) A natural and simple explanation of the lan- 
guage of the apostle is furnished by the actual wor- 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 57 

ship of the Jews, as historically rendered, in the days 
of our Saviour. We have already seen that regularly 
on each weekly Sabbath, morning and evening, the 
Jews, in our Lord's day, went beyond the Psalter in 
their songs of praise. Dr. Edersheim informs us that 
in connection with the Feast of Tabernacles they went 
still farther, and that then devotional compositions 
of uninspired men were sung. 

' 'At the close of the first day of the feast the wor- 
shippers descended to the Court of the Women, where 
great preparations had been made. Four golden can- 
delabras were there, each with four golden bowls, and 
against them rested four ladders ; and four youths of 
priestly descent held each a pitcher of oil, capable of 
holding one hundred and twenty log, from which they 
filled each bowl. The old, worn breeches and girdles 
of the priests served for wicks to these lamps. There 
was not a court in Jerusalem that was not lit up by 
the light of 'the house of water-pouring.' The 'Chas- 
sidim' and 'the Men of Deed' danced before the people 
with flaming torches in their hands, and sang before 
them hymns and songs of praise ; and the Levites, with 
harps, and lutes, and cymbals, and trumpets, and in- 
struments of music without number, stood upon the 
fifteen steps which led down from the Court of Israel 
to that of the Women, according to the number of the 
fifteen Songs of Degrees in the Book of Psalms. They 
stood with their instruments of music, and sang 
hymns. ... A fragment of one of the hymns sung 
that night has been preserved. It was sung by the 
'Chassidim' and 'Men of Deed,' and by those who did 
penance in their old age for the sins of their youth : 

The Chassidim and Men of Deed. 

'Oh joy, that our youth, devoted, sage, 
Doth bring no shame upon our old age ! ' 



58 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

The Penitents. 

'Oh, joy, we can in our old age 
Repair the sins of youth not sage!' 

Both in Unison. 

'Yes, happy he on whom no early guilt doth rest, 
And he who, having sinned, is now with pardon 

blest.' " 
The Temple, Its Ministry and Services. Edersheim, 
pp. 246, 247. 1 

It is not without significance that it was in connec- 
tion with the Feast of Tabernacles rather than any 
other that this extension of Psalmody took place. We 
have already seen that our Lord made use of two post- 
Mosaic features of that feast to illustrate his own re- 
lation to, and work in and in behalf of, the world. 
He is the water of life to assuage the world's thirsting. 
He is the light of life to dispel the world's darkness. 

*In making this quotation it may not be out of place to 
relate a personal incident. Some twenty-five years ago, when 
preparing a pamphlet on Instrumental Music in the Worship 
of God, I went to Rochester to visit the library of the uni- 
versity in that city. Calling upon the Rev. Dr. Howard 
Osgood, Professor of Old Testament Literature in the institu- 
tion and one of the American Old Testament Revisers, the 
librarian, I was cordially received and taken by him to his 
own library. He entered heartily into my plans, and loaned 
me two books. Of these one was this work of Edersheim. As 
we conversed together I glanced through the book and noticed 
interrogation marks pencilled here and there upon the mar- 
gins. Seeing this, he said: "You need pay no attention to 
those marks. You can rely upon every statement you find in 
that book." 

Moll, on the authority of Zunz, gives testimony to Jewish 
customs very similar to this of Edersheim ; 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 59 

And in thus appropriating and interpreting these 
features of this feast he was only carrying out the 
conception which the Jews themselves cherished re- 
specting the essential character of this festival. 

"Indeed, the whole symbolism of the Feast, begin- 
ning with the completed harvest, for which it was a 
thanksgiving, pointed to the future. The Rabbis them- 
selves admitted this. The strange number of sacrificial 
bullocks— seventy in all — they regarded as referring 
to 'the seventy nations' of heathendom. The cere- 
mony of the outpouring of water, which was consid- 
ered of such vital importance as to give to the whole 
festival the name of ' House of Outpouring, ' was sym- 
bolical of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As the 
brief night of the great Temple illumination closed, 
there was solemn testimony made before Jehovah 
"After the destruction of the temple, prayer came to occupy 
more and more the place of sacrifice, and the synagogue service 
became the vital centre of Jewish life, 'the only bearer and 
banner of their nationality, in the ruin of all their other in- 
stitutions' (Zunz). Its two parts consisted in the reading of 
the Scriptures and singing of Psalms and other psalm-like 
passages. The reading was conducted by the teachers, and 
those versed in the Scriptures, the 'wise men/ and it was con- 
nected with expositions. The singing was conducted by the 
leaders in prayer, 'the representatives of the assembly,' who 
delivered in a singing style Psalms or songs of a psalm-like 
character which were introduced gradually and grew out of 
free renderings of passages from the Psalms and other biblical 
sentences. . . . There was, however, for centuries, no fixed 
arrangement of prayers, and no prayer-book to which the 
leaders in prayer were restricted. They exercised, in fact, the 
greatest freedom in the choice of Psalms and hymns for divine 
service, and in the manner of their delivery, and not unfre- 
quently appeared themselves in the character of poets or 
singers, with original productions." Lange's Commentary, 
Psalms, Introduction, Sec. 5, p. 14. 



60 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

against heathenism. It must have been a stirring 
scene, when from out of the mass of Levites, with 
their musical instruments, who crowded the fifteen 
steps that led from the Court of Israel to that of the 
Women, stepped two priests with their silver trumpets. 
As the first cock-crowing intimated the dawn of morn, 
they blew a threefold blast ; another on the tenth step, 
and yet another threefold blast as they entered the 
Court of the Women. And still sounding their trum- 
pets, they marched through the Court of the Women to 
the Beautiful Gate. Here, turning round and facing 
westward to the Holy Place, they repeated: 'Our 
fathers, who were in this place, they turned their 
backs on the sanctuary of Jehovah, and their faces 
eastward, for they worshipped eastward the sun ; but 
we, our eyes are toward Jehovah.' 'We are Jehovah's 
—our eyes are toward Jehovah.' Nay, the whole of 
this night-and-morning scene was symbolical: the 
Temple illumination, of the light which was to shine 
from out the Temple into the dark night of heathen- 
dom ; then, at the first dawn of morn the blast of the 
priests' silver trumpets, of the army of God, as it ad- 
vanced, with festive trumpet-sound and call, to 
awaken the sleepers, marching on to quite the utmost 
bounds of the sanctuary, to the Beautiful Gate, which 
opened upon the Court of the Gentiles— and, then 
again, facing round to utter solemn protest against 
heathenism, and make solemn confession of Jehovah. ' ' 
The Life and Times of Jesus, the Messiah. Eder- 
sheim, Vol. 2, pp. 149, 150. 

It was thoroughly fitting that in connection with 
such a feast, charged with such symbolical signifi- 
cance, the songs sung should go beyond those of the 
Hebrew Scriptures, and anticipate those which, in the 
time to come, should ascend from Gentile lips when 
they too should join in the praises of Jehovah. 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 61 

And indication is not altogether wanting that so 
the Ephesian Christians understood and obeyed the 
apostle. In his First Epistle to Timothy, the Apostle 
Paul seems to quote from one such song. At least 
such is the conviction of many scholars. Winer only 
gives expression to a general belief when he says: 
"Likewise 1 Tim. 3: 16 . . . appears to be a quotation 
from one of the hymns of the apostolic church.' ' 
Winer's New Testament Grammar, Sec. 68, par. 3, page 
639. Also p. 588, 7th Edition. And what gives this 
citation pertinence in this connection is the fact that 
Timothy, at the time that this epistle was addressed 
to him, was in charge of the church at Ephesus. Nor 
were such songs confined to the Christians of Ephesus 
and Colosse. They were in use in other provinces. At 
least some forty years later Pliny bears testimony 
that such songs were sung by the Christians of 
Bithynia, Kespecting his testimony I quote from 
Dr. Pressly: 

"The first particular reference to the usages con- 
nected with the worship of the primitive Christians, 
to which I shall call the attention of the reader, oc- 
curs in the famous letter addressed by the younger 
Pliny to the Emperor Trajan. The letter w r as written 
during the persecution under Trajan, probably in the 
year 107. Those who have not access to the Epistles 
of Pliny may see the original, with the translation, in 
Lardner's Credibility, Vol. 7." (The original, though 
not the translation, will be found also in Gieseler's 
Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 1, p. 103.) "The passage 
in this Epistle with which we are concerned is the 
following. In giving an account to his royal master 
of the usages of the Christians, Pliny observes that 
after making inquiry he learned that 'they were wont 



62 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

to meet together on a stated day, before it was light, 
and sing among themselves alternately a hymn to 
Christ as a God, and bind themselves by an oath, not to 
the commission of any wickedness, but not to be guilty 
of theft or robbery or adultery ; never to falsify their 
word, nor to deny a pledge committed to them when 
called upon to return it. When these things were per- 
formed, it was their custom to separate, and then to 
come together again to a meal which they ate in com- 
mon without any disorder.' 

"On this extract I would offer the following re- 
marks : 

"1. The account which Pliny here gives of the wor- 
ship of the Christians is founded upon information 
which he had derived from such as had renounced 
Christianity. It is not intimated that the express lan- 
guage employed by the Christians is here given. But 
Pliny states in his own language the information 
which he had obtained. Their fault consisted not in 
any immorality with which they were chargeable, but 
simply in conforming to the rites and obligations of 
a religion which was opposed to all idolatry. 

"2. It was the custom of these Christians to as- 
semble statedly on a particular day for religious wor- 
ship. The first day of the week, or the Christian Sab- 
bath, is evidently referred to. And owing to the 
difficulties of the times, they were accustomed to meet 
before daylight, that they might escape the fury of 
their persecutors. 

"3. When these Christians assembled for worship, 
it was their custom to sing a hymn to Christ as a God. 
The original Latin is, 'carmen, Christo, quasi Deo, 
dicere.' " (The matter is immaterial here; but, as 
given by Gieseler, the Latin is, ' carmenque Christo, 
quasi Deo, dicere secam invicem.') "It has been a 
matter of doubt with some critics whether it is praise 
or prayer to which this expression relates. This 
doubt has its origin in the fact that the Latin 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 63 

word carmen may signify a prayer as well as a 
song ; and this doubt is strengthened by the considera- 
tion that Justin Martyr ... in his account of the 
worship of the primitive Christians makes particular 
mention of prayer, but is silent in relation to songs of 
praise. However, I am inclined to believe that the 
word should be taken in its more common acceptation, 
and conclude that it is to be understood as having ref- 
erence to the singing of praise. I am the more dis- 
posed to come to this conclusion since I find that both 
Tertullian in his Apology, and Eusebius in his History, 
lib. 3, cap. 33, who quote this Epistle of Pliny, under- 
stand the words in question as having reference to 
praise. According to this view, then, the Christians 
in ancient Bithynia, about the beginning of the second 
century, were accustomed in their religious assemblies 
to sing a hymn to Christ as a God." Dr. Pressly on 
Psalmody, pp. 157-159. 

We conclude, then, that when the apostle exhorts 
the Christians at Ephesus and Colosse to let the word 
of Christ dwell in them richly, and to admonish one 
another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, he 
meant that they should make song do service in the 
cause of Christ — that it should be so used as to in- 
crease the knowledge of his life and character and 
deeper consecration to his service. They were to use 
whatever songs would contribute to this end— Psalms 
from the Psalter, hymns from the Scriptures, or 
spiritual songs originating in their own day. To this 
our brethren object: 

"Is it reasonable to suppose that there would be 
found in the very infancy of the New Testament 
church a sufficient number of such men qualified to 
supply the church with these hymns and spiritual 
odes ? Take these Ephesians, for instance. We know 



64 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

what they were before converted to Christianity. They 
were sunk in all the ignorance and pollution of 
idolatry, having been from their childhood worship- 
pers of the * great goddess Diana. ' Without at all pre- 
suming to call in question the existence among them 
of men of education, genius and piety, we think it is 
by no means an unreasonable supposition that it 
would not have been safe to commit to men just con- 
verted from their idolatrous worship, and conse- 
quently but partially enlightened and established in 
the truth, the making 'of hymns and spiritual songs' 
in which to celebrate the praises of Jehovah. To our 
mind it would seem to be a dangerous experiment.' y 
Dr. Cooper in True Psalmody, pp. 82, 83. 

But to this we reply : 1. It is not claimed that these 
early Christians were charged with the task of pro- 
viding a hymn book for permanent use by the church. 
They were only urged to have their musical faculties 
stirred by the Spirit of God rather than the "spirit 
of wine," and to devote these gifts to the edification 
of their brethren rather than to the fostering of 
Bacchanalian revels. 

2. No one who has ever heard the Plantation Melo- 
dies sung by the Negroes in our own Southland before 
the war can question the ability of these Christians to 
render the service to which they are here exhorted. 

Such we believe to be the real purport of these ex- 
hortations of the apostle to the Christians of Ephesus 
and Colosse. They were not to be drunk with wine, 
but filled with the Spirit. They were to let the word 
of Christ dwell in them richly. And being thus moved 
and furnished they were in all wisdom to use their 
psalmody for their mutual edification. And this 
psalmody was to be composed, or rather, as a matter 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 65 

of fact, consisted of three elements— Psalms, hymns 
and spiritual songs. It is possible on etymological and 
poetical grounds to differentiate these terms. But no 
attempt will be made here to do so, and no argument 
will be based upon such discrimination. It is enough 
to know that historically, in the days of our Saviour 
and his apostles, the praise songs of the Temple were 
actually composed of three kinds of songs— Psalms of 
the Psalter, hymns of the Scriptures, and songs of 
men of the day. With this fact these Christians were 
familiar, and they would understand that their ser- 
vices of song were to be characterized by the same 
comprehensiveness. And when we come to put to- 
gether the hints and fragments we have we are irre- 
sistibly drawn to the conclusion that these Christians 
obeyed the exhortation of the apostle as thus under- 
stood. Look at it. "Let the word of Christ dwell in 
you richly/ ' Col. 3:16. "The word which he sent 
unto the children of Israel, preaching good tidings of 
peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all) —that saying 
ye yourselves know, which w 7 as published throughout 
all Judgea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism 
which John preached; even Jesus of Nazareth, how 
God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with 
power; who went about doing good, and healing all 
that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with 
him." Acts 10:36-38. 

"He w r ho was manifested in the flesh, 

Justified in the spirit, 

Seen of angels, 

Preached among the nations, 

Believed on in the world, 

Received up in glory." 1 Tim. 3:16. 



66 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

"Affirmabant autem . . . quod essent soliti stato 
die ante lucem convenire, carmenque Christo, quasi 
Deo, dicere secum invicem." "But they affirmed . . . 
that they were wont to meet on a stated day before 
dawn and sing together antiphonally a song to Christ 
as Go d." Pliny's letter to Trajan. 

Note. — At each of the Psalmody conventions a paper was pre- 
sented devoted to the exposition of the passages that have been 
the subject of study in the above chapter. While neither paper 
presents anything essentially new, yet they treat the text so 
fully and freshly that they deserve some consideration. Avoid- 
ing repetition, so far as possible, and confining attention to 
the salient points of these papers, let us note the latest ex- 
position of these passages from the Psalm-singer's standpoint. 

(A) "Consulting this great version [the Septuagint], the 
most cursory reader will find, first, that there is a steady 
recurrence of these three designations, 'psalms,' 'hymns,' and 
'songs,' in the formal titles to the compositions of the Psalter." 
The Psalms in Worship, pp. 138, 139. 

1. The writer cites Psalms vi, liv, lv, lxi, lxvii, lxxvi, as 
having "humnos" (hymn) as its title. In no one of these 
Psalms is "humnos" really a title. It is part of the phrase 
rendered in our English version, "For the chief musician," as 
any one can see for himself by consulting the Septuagint. 

2. As the writer concedes — p. 146 — there are two "other real 
titles" in the Greek Psalter which the apostle does not use. 
One of these, he says, occurs eighteen times, and the other five 
times. Why did not the apostle use "hallelujah" instead of 
"hymn," as it occurs thrice as often ? 

3. Again he says : "In the heading of the Seventy-sixth Psalm 
all three terms stand side by side, just as here." Let us see — 
for many of our brethren, in some way, make substantially the 
same statement. In the Septuagint the title reads: "Eis to 
telos en humnois, psalmos to Asaph, odee pros ton Assyrion." 
This means, the Psalm is inscribed to the chief musician, is 
by Asaph and designed to be rendered with instrumental ac- 
companiment, and is a song whose theme is the Assyrian. This 



PSALMODY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 67 

is a rubric and the words occur in an altogether different rela- 
tion from that in which they are found in the passages under 
consideration. 

{B) "Against the ascribing of these three terms to the 
Psalter it is urged that 'songs' (odai) has an attributive in 
the word 'spiritual' (pneumatikai), which is novel, and which 
forbids dependence on the Septuagint in the exegesis of these 
passages. It is not psalms, hymns, and 'songs,' we are told 
but 'psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.' The objection is 
plausible, but it shrinks to the vanishing point and becomes a 
verbal quibble when the context in Ephesians is noted." P. 145. 

1. This is the second time we have found this word "quibble" 
in this volume. I feel tempted to characterize such designa- 
tion applied to a serious argument of an opponent, but 1 for- 
bear. 

2. "Now, what is the import of the word? In answer to this 
pivotal question we affirm that the Greek original, which is 
'pneumatikos,' has no such latitude of meaning as 'spiritual' 
has in English, and that it designates commonly whatever is 
immediately given or produced by the Spirit of God. It is 
construed thus by an overwhelming majority of critical 
authorities, including those of the greatest weight. A few 
special citations will not be amiss." P. 132. Then follow the 
citations, and these in their turn are followed by a notable 
list of scholars who sustain them. Now, in regard to this, we 
remark : 

(a) The writer need not have gone to so much pains to 
prove what no one denies. 

(6) Conceding all his citations assert, his argument is 
helped not one whit. He needs to prove that "spiritual" means 
"inspired" — inspired in the theological sense of the term. This 
it does not signify. For that idea Paul uses another word — 
theopneustos. I give herewith citations of all the places where 
the word occurs. Every reader can then judge for himself. 
Rom. 1:11, 7:14, 15:27; 1 Cor. 2:13 (twice), 15, 3:1, 9:11, 
10:3,4 (twice), 12:1, 14:1,37, 15:44 (twice), 46 (twice); 
Gal. 6:1; Eph. 1:3, 5:19, 6:12; Col. 1:9, 3:16; 1 Pet. 2:5 
(twice). 



68 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

(C) "In these verses the direction given is not to prepare or 
provide songs of praise, but only to sing them. On this we 
must be permitted to insist." P. 130. And our brethren do 
insist upon this. Again and again it appears in this volume; 
and no extended defence of exclusive Psalm- singing fails to 
make it. But the brethren seem to forget "that, under one sin 
or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; 
together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appear- 
ances thereof and provocations thereunto." Larger Catechism, 
Question 99, Section 6. In other words, an end being enjoined, 
all means necessary to securing it are authorized. It is the 
principle on which much current national legislation is being 
enacted. . The exhortation then warrants the use of "spiritual 
songs" wherever they may be found, and the making of them 
if such as are suitable for the purpose cannot otherwise be 
secured. 

(D) "If the Psalms of Scripture are intended by the word 
'psalms, as is assumed for the present, it is quite unthinkable 
that Paul would link human compositions with those of the 
Spirit of God, and direct that they be used for the same end." 
P. 131. 

And yet in this same Epistle to the Ephesians — in the chap- 
ter next preceding the one in which the passage under consid- 
eration is found — Paul writes: "And he gave some to be apos- 
tles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, 
pastors and teachers: for the perfecting of the saints." Eph. 
4: 11, 12. Here apostles, men inspired, infallible, and authorita- 
tive — a unique body with no successors — and prophets, men in- 
spired equally with the apostles, but without their authority, 
are joined with ordinary uninspired men as ministers given to 
the church by Christ for the perfecting of the saints. If ordi- 
nary, uninspired men could be "linked" with inspired and au- 
thoritative apostles for this high service, is it, after all, really 
"unthinkable" that he should "link" uninspired songs with 
authorized psalms and inspired hymns as means to be used by 
the Ephesian and Colossian Christians for their mutual in- 
struction and admonition? Does it not rather create a pre- 
sumption that he would? Compare Rev. 22:17. 



CHAPTER V. 

PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. 

What place has song among the agencies of the 
Christian church? That it has some place all freely 
concede. Time was when within the Reformed church 
— at least in some localities—song was condemned, and 
singing in religious worship was forbidden. But that 
time has long since passed. Everywhere to-day a 
place is not only accorded to song, but that place is 
magnified. Our brethren themselves concede that even 
songs of uninspired men— "human composures," as 
they designate them — have their place in devotional 
services. "It is, moreover, to be observed that the 
advocates of Scripture Psalmody do not object abso- 
lutely to the use of uninspired hymns as a means of 
exciting and expressing pious feeling; their objection 
being to the use of such compositions in the direct and 
proper worship of God." James Harper in Schaff- 
Herzog Encyclopedia, s. v. Psalms. Such has ever 
been the position of the Psalm-singing churches of this 
country. The position first found formal expression 
probably in "The Overture" issued by the Associate 
Reformed Synod in 1787 ; and, so far as known to the 
writer, there has never been an opposing utterance. 

But is not that practically, primarily at least, just 
that to which the apostle exhorts in those passages 
which were under consideration in the preceding 
chapter ? 



70 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

"The exhortation of the Apostle, with regard to 
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, does 
not appear to refer, primarily at least, to the exercise 
of praise as a part of the instituted worship of God. 
It has particular respect to the conduct of the disciples 
of Christ in their social intercourse. Whenever they 
meet together, instead of indulging in idle conversa- 
tion, or engaging in such recreations as might exert 
a corrupting influence over the mind, they should con- 
stantly keep in view mutual edification. Not merely 
when they assemble for the formal worship of God, but 
also when they meet to enjoy social intercourse and to 
cultivate the social affections, all communications of a 
demoralizing tendency should be carefully avoided; 
and their ■ speech should be always with grace, sea- 
soned with salt. ' And as music exerts a powerful in- 
fluence over our nature in subduing the passions, in 
tranquillizing the mind, and in elevating and purify- 
ing the affections, when it is employed in connection 
with proper sentiments ; let it be cultivated as a means 
of rendering our social intercourse as Christians more 
pleasant and profitable. 'In psalms and hymns and 
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to 
the Lord. ' It is indeed true that in singing the praise 
of God in his instituted worship our great concern 
should be to sing 'with grace in our hearts to the Lord. ' 
But we must not forget that the Christian should 
have reference to the promotion of God's glory in 
everything in which he engages ; not merely when we 
are engaged in the formal acts of religious worship, 
but when pursuing our lawful avocations; when cul- 
tivating social intercourse, and enjoying Christian 
recreation, the glory of God and mutual edification 
should be kept steadily in view as the great objects at 
which we aim. . . . The exhortation ... is ad- 
dressed not to the ministry as such, but to the differ- 
ent members of the household of faith generally ; and 
this exhortation consequently indicates a duty, which 



PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. 71 

is not peculiar to any one class, but is common to all 
the followers of Christ, who in all their social inter- 
course are under obligations to study the promotion 
of their mutual edification. And it has further been 
supposed that the direction here given by the Apostle 
with regard to 'singing' does not relate primarily to 
the exercise of praise as a part of the instituted wor- 
ship of God, but to the singing of sacred songs for 
mutual edification and for Christian recreation. And 
the conclusion to which this view of the subject would 
lead is, that if Christians, when associated for mutual 
edification and Christian recreation, should sing such 
sacred songs as are adapted to excite in the mind just 
and reverential thoughts of God, and to produce and 
cherish holy affections, much more should they em- 
ploy such when engaged in the formal exercise of sing- 
ing praise to God." Dr. Pressly on Psalmody, pp. 
138-140. 

And yet, despite all this, our brethren treat these 
passages as canons of praise, and interpret them as 
restricting the songs of the sanctuary to those found 
in the Psalter; or, at furthest, to those found in the 
Bible. Doing so the question naturally arises, how 
then can they Scripturally justify their concession 
that sometimes uninspired hymns may be legitimately 
sung u as a means of exciting and expressing pious 
feeling" ? As a matter of fact, they do find it difficult 
to justify the concession ; and hence dissuade from the 
use of uninspired songs on all religious or semi-re- 
ligious occasions. 

"In regard to the use of hymns, an inquiry arises 
whether songs, such as those which are often prepared 
and sung on anniversary occasions, may be consistently 
sung? In this we remark: 1. That were Christians 



72 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

agreed in reference to the subject in the aspect in 
which it has been before us— the use of hymns in wor- 
ship—this inquiry would give little trouble. If such 
songs were used at all, it would be only as patriotic 
songs, for example, are sung on public occasions, or 
as songs are sung in private circles, for musical recre- 
ation or practice, and not under the name of devotion 
at all. 2. Whether they are so sung, generally, in 
the circumstances to which we allude, we cannot tell. 
We presume, however, that in many cases the idea 
of worship does not present itself to those who use 
them. It certainly cannot, in instances of which we 
have seen notices, in which the children, and perhaps 
the adults of a congregation, unite in singing a song 
prepared as an expression of their welcome to a 
pastor ; and in all such like instances. Still, 3. Inas- 
much as these are not necessary ; as there is no obliga- 
tion to use such songs; as the propriety of their use 
may be often, at least, doubtful; and inasmuch as 
these are associated in some degree, perhaps largely, 
in the public mind with the use of hymns in the wor- 
ship of God, and may be regarded as such worship, 
we think it is not only wisest and safest, but required 
of us, to avoid them." True Psalmody, Appendix D, 
pp. 238, 239. 

To this position our brethren are irresistibly, though 
oftentimes quite reluctantly, driven by their concep- 
tion of the ordinance of praise. That conception is 
thus expressed by Dr. Pressly : 

"Prayer and praise agree in one particular, and 
that is, they are both ordinances of religious worship. 
But in almost everything else they differ. ' ' 

He then treats of these differences in five partic- 
ulars. I quote only the first one. 

"1. In prayer, we come to God to ask for those 



PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. 73 

things which we need ; but in praise, we ascribe to him 
the glory which is due unto his name. As our situa- 
tion and circumstances are ever varying, our wants 
are very different at one time from what they are 
at another. Our petitions must consequently be 
framed in accordance with our wants. But God is 
unchangeable, and his praise is always the same." 
Dr. Pressly on Psalmody, pp. 120, 121. Incorporated 
in True Psalmody, pp. 126, 127. 

In other words, an unchangeable God necessitates 
unchangeable praise. Unchangeable praise demands 
unchangeable expression. Such expression having 
been provided must be exclusively used. The logic is 
remorseless ; but it proceeds from a false assumption. 
While adoration is indeed the distinctive feature of 
praise, and that which differentiates it from preaching 
and prayer, yet it is not so exclusively the character- 
istic of the ordinance of praise as absolutely to dom- 
inate it. Praise is a prophetic rather than a priestly 
function; and has to do with the edification of the 
people not less than with the adoration of Jehovah. 
It was under the leadership of Moses and Miriam- 
prophet and prophetess— and not under that of Aaron 
the priest that Israel's first praise service was held. 
It was Samuel the prophet and not Eli the priest who 
established the schools of the prophets and taught 
psalmody as part of the curriculum. It was by David 
the prophet and not Zadok or Abiathar, the contempo- 
rary high priests, that the service of song was intro- 
duced into the Temple worship ; and when introduced 
the charge of it was given not to the priests but to 
the Levites. And it continued to be their charge so 
long as the Temple stood. 



74 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

It is significant, moreover, that in the arrangement 
of the musical service of the Temple the function 
of the Levitical musicians is comprehensively de- 
scribed as prophesying. 1 Chron. 25 : 1-3. It is, too, 
to mutual exhortation and not to united adoration 
the Christians of Ephesus and Colosse are exhorted 
in the passages that have been under consideration. 
Nor do the Psalms themselves bear out the conception 
of our brethren. They are by no means all exclusively 
praise songs in the sense of songs of adoration of God. 
Some of them are not even dominantly such; and in 
one— the 88th— this element is wholly lacking. No, 
the ordinance of praise requires no such stereo- 
typed expression as the conception of our brethren 
makes necessary. Rather, as new occasions teach new 
duties, so new conditions demand new songs. It is 
true that this leads to frequent changes in our hymn 
books. But after all a living church cannot avoid 
the changes demanded by a developing life. We all 
have a Revised Bible, we Presbyterians a revised Con- 
fession of Faith, our United Presbyterian brethren 
a new version of the Psalms, and all the Psalm-sing- 
ing churches collectively have just completed a new 
metrical version of the Psalter. 

What is the relation of uninspired hymns to the 
unity of Christendom? This is to-day a pressing 
question. Consolidation, in religious as in secular af- 
fairs, is the tendency of the day. It is a legitimate 
tendency; and, within due bounds, ought to be en- 
couraged. Is the use of uninspired hymns an insu- 
perable barrier to the union of Christendom? Our 
brethren believe and teach that it is, 



PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. 75 

" Hymns, such as we oppose, are sectarian. Every 
hymn-singing denomination has its own hymn book. 
There is a Methodist hymn book, a Baptist hymn book, 
a Congregational hymn book or books, a Presbyterian 
hymn book or books, a Cumberland Presbyterian 
hymn book, a Universalist hymn book, etc., etc. This 
is a kind of necessity, acknowledged by high authority 
to be so. We refer to the Biblical Repertory (Vol. 
XVIII., p. 505) : 'The Psalmody of the Christian as- 
sembly has generally partaken largely of those char- 
acteristics of thought and expression which arise 
from the circumstances of the people. In a divided 
state of the Church, when different denominations 
are zealous for their respective forms of doctrine and 
worship, the lyric poetry becomes strongly argumenta- 
tive and polemical; addresses men rather than God; 
and is employed to defend and inculcate theology, and 
to confirm the attachment of the people to their pe- 
culiar articles of faith. Hence each sect has its 
Psalmody. Both policy and conscience are deemed to 
require the hymns to coincide in sentiment throughout 
with the creed of the sect. And these doctrines are 
not only stated in poetical language, or language pro- 
fessedly poetical, and dwelt upon in a strain of devout 
meditation, but are frequently inculcated in a sort of 
metrical argument, and appeal to persons not sup- 
posed to believe them.' 

"In opposition to all this sectarian perversion of 
this part of God's worship, the advocates of the ex- 
clusive use of the Scripture Psalms hold large-minded 
and catholic views. That the church may become 
one in her visible organization, and in worship, some 
at least of their hymn books must be sacrificed. They 
cannot all remain. Let them all be discarded, that the 
one and sufficient book of Psalms furnished by our 
Saviour himself, through the inspiring influences of 
His Spirit, may be alone made use of by all his people 
in the holy exercise of praise. The coming unity of 



76 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

the church will abolish these uninspired hymn books, 
or, at least, exclude them from the sacred worship of 
God." True Psalmody, pp. 149-151. 

There is a large measure of truth in these state- 
ments; and yet, for the purpose for which they are 
made, they are almost wholly misleading. They en- 
tirely overlook the fact that the great body of all these 
hymn books consists of hymns written by authors con- 
nected with churches other than the one publishing 
the book. There lies at my elbow a copy of The New 
Laudes Domini. Its index of authors consists of 
brief biographical sketches of the writers whose 
hymns are represented in the collection. There are 
477 of them. Some of them are almost or quite wholly 
unknown, but some 450 are definitely described as to 
religious connections. Nearly all branches of Chris- 
tendom are represented, and only thirty-three are 
Presbyterians. And yet in using the book the Pres- 
byterian does not lose his faith in a Babel of hetero- 
doxy. He still sings— 

"I know that my Redeemer lives, 
And ever prays for me. 
A token of his love he gives, 
A pledge of liberty. 

1 ' I find him lifting up my head ; 
He brings salvation near; 
His presence makes me free indeed, 
And he will soon appear. 

"He wills that I should holy be. 
What can withstand his will? 
The counsel of his grace in me 
He surely shall fulfil. 



PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. 77 

"Jesus, I hang upon thy word; 

I steadfastly believe 
Thou wilt return, and claim me, Lord, 
And to thyself receive/ ' 

And yet it is Charles Wesley, the sweet singer of 
Methodism, who furnishes the song. And what is 
characteristic of this collection is characteristic of all 
similar ones. In all the standard hymn books of our 
land and day the various branches of the church of 
Christ meet together. There are hymns by Anglicans 
and Dissenters, Arminians and Calvinists, Baptists 
and Congregationalists, Episcopalians and Presby- 
terians, Evangelicals and Liberals, Lutherans and 
Reformed, Methodists and Moravians— Protestants 
and Roman Catholics. All Christian creeds and all 
Christianized nationalities are represented. And yet 
there is not confusion. Christian heads may wrangle 
in theological strife, but Christian hearts beat in 
unison in songs of devotion. And it is with the heart, 
and not with the head, that man believeth unto right- 
eousness. In fact the divisions of Christendom are 
largely lost in books of devotion. The Anglican may 
close the door of his pulpit against the Nonconform- 
ist, but he admits him to his hymn book. The Bap- 
tist may refuse his Paedobaptist brother a seat with 
him at the Lord's table, yet he welcomes him to a place 
beside himself in his hymnal. The Romanist may un- 
church his Protestant neighbors, and, in the utmost 
stretch of his charity, speak of them as his "sep- 
arated brethren"; and yet he fellowships with them 
in the songs of the altar. In very truth, aside from 
the use of the Scriptures, there is to-day nothing else 

LQFC. 



78 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

that so manifests the real oneness of Christendom as 
the unity of its hymnody— nowhere else is the com- 
munion of saints so realized as in the songs of the 
sanctuary. 

And yet the hymnals of the day are not ideal. The 
ideal Christian hymnology, as Paul presents it, is 
made up of three elements— psalms, hymns and 
spiritual songs. Our modern hymnals abound in the 
two latter elements, but they are deficient in the 
former. From the three standard hymn books at the 
moment in my library which have an index of Scrip- 
ture texts, thirty-six Psalms— almost one-fourth of 
the Psalter— are entirely wanting. But it is not sim- 
ply in the exclusion of particular Psalms that modern 
hymnals are deficient. Even our Psalm-singing 
brethren, with the entire Psalter versified and their 
praise confined to it, in actual ordinary use confine 
themselves to a relatively small portion of it. It is 
the absence of the distinctive characteristics of the 
Psalter— characteristics which for the spiritual man 
correspond largely to iron in the blood for the physical 
—that constitutes the most glaring deficiency of our 
modern hymnody. 1 And hence here is a sphere within 



ir This element is wanting even in those hymns which are 
nominally based upon the Psalms. All who have looked at all 
into the matter know that the relation of the hymn to the 
Psalm with which it is connected in the index is of the slightest 
kind. Thus, in preparing this statement, I found that the 
second Psalm was included in one of these hymnals. Not 
recalling a version of that Psalm, I turned to the reference to 
see what it was, and found it was Bishop Heber's familiar 
hymn, "From Greenland's Icy Mountains." That is an excellent 
hymn, but hardly a version of the second Psalm. 



PRACTICAL PROBLEMS. 79 

which our psalm-singing brethren can exert a benef- 
icent influence and do a needed and excellent work. 
The hymnody of the future will not be characterized 
by displacement of uninspired hymns and songs, but 
by enrichment through incorporation of the virile 
songs of the Psalter. May the Lord hasten its coming, 
and may our Psalm-singing brethren co-operate in thus 
bringing the day when the watchmen of Zion shall 
lift up the voice and with the voice together shall sing. 

Supplemental Note. This convention volume furnishes 
Psalm-singers no relief from the restrictions of an exclusively 
Davidic Psalmody. 

(a) The exhortations in Ephesians and Colossians still refer 
to worship. True, one writer says: "The hortatory sections 
have no liturgical intent. They are not rubrics, but constitute 
a program of holy living." P. 152. And yet throughout his 
paper he treats these passages as referring to formal worship. 

Another writer makes specific reference to the point and 
settles it thus: "True, the question has been raised whether 
they have to do with worship at all, whether Paul is not 
touching merely upon the intercourse of believers in their 
family life, at their love-feasts, their social gatherings, and 
other meetings, and suggesting mutual edification by song. On 
this mooted point the common verdict is that the main, though 
not exclusive, reference is to the stated services of the public 
assembly, which seem to have been of a free and elastic nature." 
P. 128. 

( b ) Hymns cannot be legitimately used in any public service. 
"Even if we concede somewhat of good to the use of 'gospel 
hymns/ those who stand for the ordinance of praise in its 
purity and entirety, as we do, cannot afford to use them in 
public service, because (a) they take the actual place of praise 
to God, . . . (b) we cannot afford to use them because they 
would take the place of Psalms in the minds of the unthinking. 
Inevitably our use of 'gospel hymns' would be counted praise 
and an abandonment of our doctrine of Psalmody. We might 



80 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

explain until we were weary the difference between 'praise' and 
'singing the gospel/ and would fail of popular impression. 
The pastor who allows h'is congregation to preach the gospel 
by singing, or any soloist to do so, thereby, in the popular 
mind, abandons Scriptural Psalmody." Pp. 458, 459. 

(c) The volume closes with two papers on "The Status and 
Outlook of the Cause of Psalmody." These papers are interest- 
ing as revealing the hopes of our brethren, and the grounds 
upon which they are cherished. I will not, however, traverse 
them. I will only say that while I myself believe that a larger 
use of the Psalms than now obtains is desirable and probable, 
yet I have no expectation that they will ever again be the 
exclusive manual of praise. Our brethren take too much 
encouragement from statements of hymn-singers which they 
think indicate a trend toward such a restoration. 

With this I close. There has been no attempt to traverse 
the whole of this latest Psalmody volume. In fact, the larger 
and better part of it receives here no notice. This is so for 
the reason that it is the smaller part of the volume that is 
controversial. The writer has personally no disposition and 
controversially no occasion to disparage the Psalms, to dis- 
pute the prevalence of their use in past ages, to question the 
desirability of their larger use in these later times, or to chal- 
lenge their ethical and devotional value. Neither disparage- 
ment of the ancient Psalms nor laudation of modern hymns 
has any place in these pages. This little book is true to its 
title. It is an examination of the denominational position of 
our brethren on the subject of Psalmody. And it is believed 
that this work shows that this position rests on assumptions 
that are unwarranted, and is defended by arguments which, 
though specious, are fallacious. And this again explains why 
it is that our brethren's argument, while seemingly so con- 
clusive, yet so largely fails to be convincing. 



AUTHORITIES QUOTED. 

When the purpose to write this little work was 
taking definiteness in my mind, I planned to collect, 
so far as possible, all the works— especially on the 
Psalm-singer's side of the question— that had been 
published in our country on the subject. But on 
reflection the plan was abandoned as involving need- 
less expense and labor. So far as discovered by the 
writer, the argument of our Psalm-singing brethren is 
always substantially the same; and varies chiefly in 
the extent and mode of presentation. Their literature 
is somewhat like the newspapers of Nashville during 
the war, as I once heard them cried on the streets of 
that city : 

Here's the Nashville Union, Citizen, Press, 
Buy the one and you read the rest. 

So I contented myself with the publications on the 
subject already in my library. These are as follows : 

1. A Preface, Designed to Show that the Biblical 
Psalms Only Are Authorized to be Sung in the 
Worship of God. Philadelphia: William S. 
Young, 373 Race Street. 1857. 

This is a small tract of fifty-eight pages ; and yet it 
is a very succinct statement of the argument. Al- 
though the title page is anonymous, yet the running 
title in the tract is: Dr. Martin's Preface to the 
Psalms. I suppose that the writer was the Rev. James 
Martin, D.D., pastor of a church in Albany, N. Y., 



82 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

1824-1842, six years editor of the Religious Monitor, 
and professor in the Theological Seminary at Cannons- 
burgh, Pa., from 1842 till his death, in 1846. 

2. The True Psalmody; or, The Bible Psalms the 
Church's Only Manual of Praise. Sixth Edition. 
Pittsburgh: United Presbyterian Board of Pub- 
lication. Philadelphia : William S. Young. 1870. 

This, too, is an anonymous work. It was prepared 
soon after the formation of the United Presbyterian 
Church in 1858 by the union of the Associate and As- 
sociate Reformed Churches. It was written by a com- 
mittee of ministers representative of their constituent 
churches residing in Philadelphia. It was first pub- 
lished in 1860. The fact that in ten years it reached 
a sixth edition is proof of its popularity; and con- 
vincing proof that it is an excellent statement of the 
argument of our brethren. It is a work of two hun- 
dred and forty-six 12mo pages. Its character is well 
stated by itself in the Introduction : 

' ' But are there not already before the Church able 
and excellent works advocating our views in this re- 
spect? There are. We gratefully acknowledge the 
fact; but still feel ourselves justified in adding an- 
other volume to the list. These works are now, mostly, 
difficult of access, because chiefly out of the market; 
some of them are in the form of criticisms upon 
essays, etc., defending human compositions ; some are 
written, and wisely, with an eye to local circum- 
stances; all have their peculiar excellences, which we 
aim at combining, as far as possible, in one volume. 

"In this last remark we indicate the character of 



AUTHORITIES QUOTED. 83 

the following work— it is largely a compilation; and 
we have made free use of the remarks of Tholuck in 
the Introduction to his Commentary on the Psalms; 
and have quoted on some points largely from the 
works of Rev. William Sommerville of Nova Scotia, 
of Dr. Pressly of Allegheny, of Mr. Gordon and of 
Dr. McMaster. The criticism on Col. 3 : 16 is from 
the pen of Dr. Cooper of this city. In all cases our 
quotations are distinguished by the marks usually 
employed, while throughout we have introduced, as 
was judged seasonable, other arguments and answers 
to objections not noticed or fully considered, accord- 
ing to our views, elsewhere; and also the necessary 
connecting links; for these the chairman of the com- 
mittee is chiefly responsible. ' ' Introduction, pp. x., xi. 

3. A Vindication of the Position of the United 

Presbyterian Church on Communion, Secret So- 
cieties, Psalmody. By Rev. J. G. Carson, D.D. 
Pittsburgh : United Presbyterian Board of Pub- 
lication, 53 and 55 Ninth Street. 
This is a very small bound volume containing 
United Presbyterian Tracts Nos. 21, 24, and 26. The 
last is the Psalmody Tract and contains forty-seven 
pages. The writer has for many years been a professor 
in the Theological Seminary at Xenia, Ohio. 

4. The Ordinance of Praise; or, An Argument in 

Favor of the Exclusive Use of the Book of 
Psalms in Singing Praises to God. By J. Clay- 
baugh, D.D. Speaking the truth in love. Third 
edition with additional notes and an appendix. 
Pittsburgh : United Presbyterian Board of Pub- 
lication. 1864. 



84 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

This is a small paper-covered booklet of fifty-six 
pages. The character of the work is well expressed 
in the Introduction prefixed by the Board to this third 
edition : 

1 ' The substance of the following treatise was deliv- 
ered by Dr. Claybaugh in two sermons to his con- 
gregation in Oxford, Ohio. It was then prepared by 
him for publication, and appeared in the Christian 
Intelligencer. As the demand for it was more than 
could be supplied by that periodical, it was revised 
and published by the author in tract form ; and such 
was the demand for it that two large editions were 
exhausted in a few years. For some time past it has 
been out of print, and although we have several larger 
works on the same subject, yet it is believed there is 
need for some brief work to be put into the hands of 
those who have not the time or the inclination to 
read a lengthy argument; and it is thought that we 
can get nothing more suitable for this purpose than 
this tract. It possesses two qualities essential to a 
work of controversy— strong argument and mild 
language: there is nothing in it to give offence 
to the most fastidious, unless a strong and clear 
statement of the truth has, unhappily, this effect. ' ' 

Dr. Claybaugh was not only a pastor ; but was a 
professor in the Associate Eef ormed Theological Semi- 
nary at Oxford, Ohio, from 1839 until his death, in 
1855. 

5. Musical Instruments in Divine Worship Con- 
demned by the Word of God. By Rev. D. W. 
Collins, D.D. Pittsburgh, 1881. 



AUTHORITIES QUOTED. 85 

This and the following work have been quoted for 
the reason that the Instrumental Music and the Psalm- 
ody questions involve substantially the same line of 
argument. 

6. A Counterblast to the Organ; or, The Lawfulness 

of Using Instrumental Music in Worship Dur- 
ing the Present Dispensation, Discussed and 
Denied by James Harper, Professor of Theology 
in the United Presbyterian Theological Semi- 
nary, Xenia, Ohio. New York, 1881. 

7. Psalmody : An Examination of Authority for Mak- 

ing Uninspired Songs and for Using Them in the 
Formal Worship of God. By J. B. Johnston, 
Pastor United Presbyterian Church, St. Clairs- 
ville, Ohio. "But in vain do they worship me, 
teaching for doctrine the commandments of 
men." Matt. 15:9. St. Clairsville, Ohio: John 
Stuart. 1871. 

Dr. Johnston was of Covenanter parentage and 
training, and for twenty-four years from ordination 
adopted by the Church of Scotland in 1781. The book 
work is a unique one, both as to position maintained 
and argument presented. Although it advocates the 
legitimacy of the use in worship of a lyrical render- 
ing of any suitable portion of Scripture, yet, so far 
as I recall, there is no reference to "The Paraphrases" 
adopted by the Church of Scotland in 1781. The 
book is a volume of one hundred and seventy-two pages ; 
and at the time of its publication received extended 
and kindly editorial notice in the United Presbyterian 
from Dr. David R. Kerr. And the suggestive fact is 



86 THE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

that, so far as I recall, it met with no criticism as a 
misrepresentation of the United Presbyterian position. 

8. Review of Ralston 's Inquiry into the Propriety 

of Using an Evangelical Psalmody in the Wor- 
ship of God. Second edition. Enlarged by two 
additional chapters, embracing A Critical Analy- 
sis of Col. 3 : 16, 17, and The Modern History of 
Psalmody. By John T. Pressly, D.D. Alle- 
gheny, 1848. 

This is a volume of one hundred and eighty pages. 
Dr. Pressly was one of the most prominent ministers 
in the United Presbyterian Church. He was born and 
reared and began his ministry in South Carolina. But 
having been elected professor of Theology in the Asso- 
ciate Reformed Theological Seminary at Allegheny, 
Pa., he entered upon his work as such in January, 
1832. In August, 1833, he was installed pastor of the 
First Church, Allegheny, and continued as pastor and 
professor until his death in August, 1870. 

9. The Inspired Psalmody. Published By Request, by 

William J. Reid, pastor of the First United 
Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa. Pitts- 
burgh: United Presbyterian Board of Publica- 
tion, 1872. 
This tract of eighteen pages is a sermon preached in 
the First United Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, 
Pa., November 19, 1871, on the occasion of introducing 
the Revised Version of the Psalms. Dr. Reid was for 
many years Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of 
the United Presbyterian Church. 

10. The Psalms in Worship ; A Series of Convention 



AUTHORITIES QUOTED. 87 

Papers Bearing Upon the Place of the Psalms 
in the Worship of the Church. Edited by John 
McNaugher, D.D., LL.D., Professor of New 
Testament Literature and Criticism in the Alle- 
gheny Theological Seminary. Pittsburgh: The 
United Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1907. 

This is the latest and by far the largest and most 
imposing volume issued by our brethren on the Psalm- 
ody question. And yet I doubt if it is to prove to be 
their most effective publication. The volume was 
issued in May. These notes are being written the last 
day of October, and yet I have seen but two refer- 
ences to the book. These were by correspondents of 
the Associate Keformed Presbyterian of Due West, 
S. C. And one of these correspondents was myself. 
In the first place, the work is too voluminous. As the 
work consists of fifty-four papers on twenty-seven 
topics by fifty-four writers, there is naturally and 
necessarily much substantial repetition. And then 
the work is not altogether harmonious. 
11. The Temple, Its Ministry and Services as they 
Were at the Time of Jesus Christ. By the Rev. 
Dr. Edersheim, author of Sketches of Jewish 
Social Life at the Time of Christ, The Bible His- 
tory, etc. Novum Testamentum in Vetere latet ; 
vetus in novo patet. New edition, revised. 
Fleming H. Revell Company. 

Dr. Edersheim was a converted Jew ; and at the time 
of his death a clergyman of the Church of England. 
As there is some manifestation of a disposition on the 
part of ooe of the writers in The Psalms in Worship 



88 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

to exalt Lightfoot to the disparagement of Edersheim, 
I quote a paragraph from the introduction of the lat- 
ter. " Lightfoot 's 'Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae' are 
known to every scholar. Not so, perhaps, his small 
learned treatise 'De Ministerio templi.' The title and 
many of the subjects are similar to those treated in 
the present volume. But the learned reader will at 
once perceive that the plan and execution are quite 
different, though the work has been of great service to 
me. . . . This only would I ask the reader to believe : 
that while this book embodies the studies of many 
years, I have during its actual composition deemed no 
labor nor pains irksome in comparing the results of my 
own investigations with those of all, within reach, 
who were entitled to such consideration. ' ' 

It is not necessary to write of other authorities I 
have used. The above are those specially related to 
this controversy. 

Saving the World: What it Involves and How it is 
Being Accomplished. By Kev. David Findley 
Bonner, A.M., D.D. Cloth, 12mo, pp. 259. $1.00. 
Hanford & Horton, Middletown, N. Y. 

"The author . . . has given us in this modest 
volume a series of sixteen sermons which he delivered 
to his congregation. These sermons are arranged un- 
der six divisions, which are specified as 'The Saved/ 
'The Salvation, 7 'The Saviour/ 'The Saving,' 'The 
Consummation, ' and 'The Obligation. 9 Three in- 
dexes are appended, one on subjects, a second on 
authors, and a third on texts. These sermons are 
scriptural, scholarly, and suggestive. They represent 
maturity of thought, breadth of study, and depth of 
experience. . . . We commend this volume to all 



AUTHORITIES QUOTED. 89 

who would obtain a discriminating knowledge upon 
the subjects here so ably presented."— Presbyterian 
Journal. 

"The volume ... is a series of seventeen ser- 
mons, printed essentially as preached to his own peo- 
ple, and setting forth the great truths as to the Gospel 
as a practical power under God in operation for the 
salvation of the world. A Calvinist, as he is, believing 
in the statements and the philosophy ordinarily em- 
bodied in the Calvinistic system, he believes, as he 
must, in that conception of the Gospel which presses 
Christ's claims on every individual who hears the 
truth and leaves him absolutely without excuse in case 
he persists in unbelief. While not a work on theology, 
no one but a thoroughly trained theologian could have 
written it. While not a formal history of redemption, 
it sets forth the great truths as only one could who 
has made a thorough study of the scheme and doc- 
trines of redemption as set forth in the Word of 
God"— Herald and Presbyter. 

1 ' The content of this book harmonizes perfectly with 
its title. And yet a word of explanation is needed, 
for the title is not entirely lucid. 'Saving the World' 
does not mean the mere human method of evangelizing 
the unevangelized, and thus bringing salvation to indi- 
vidual souls. It means rather the saving of the world 
by a divine purpose and plan. Accordingly, the book 
includes sections treating of the nature of sin, the 
wrath of God, the person of Christ, His work as a 
Saviour, and the benefits of salvation in this life and 
in that which is to come. Thus the author explains 
upon biblical grounds the nature of propitiation, 
reconciliation, evangelization, regeneration, and sanc- 
tification. The whole plan of the book is conceived in 
the popular style and written simply and clearly."— 
The Interior. 

"Sobriety, clearness, scholarship, and richness char- 
acterize these Bible studies. The author . . . knows 
other men's views and has some of his own which he 



90 TEE PSALMODY QUESTION. 

offers with modesty and with appeal to the Scriptures 
only. . . . The book uses no technical terms . . . and 
has no contagious disease of doubt, but a wealth of 
strong, sensible, tender, and moving Bible teach- 
ing."— New York Observer. 

"It is a book of sermons, but instead of being dry 
reading for the ordinary reader, as such works often 
are, it will be found deeply interesting from first to 
last because it deals in a practical way with matters 
which touch the life, present and future, of every man 
and woman."— Middletown (N. Y.) Press. 

" ' Saving the World' is a series of popular sermons 
on the subject of Soteriology. The arrangement is 
systematic, the treatment sufficiently full, the illustra- 
tions illuminating. The author is a careful expositor 
and an independent thinker ; and while in the main he 
has followed the old lines, his handling of the subject 
is fresh and simple and vigorous. The thoughtful 
layman will find in this book an intelligible and inter- 
esting discussion of the great central truths of Chris- 
tianity, and will gain incidentally a clue to the right 
interpretation of Scripture passages. To the minister, 
these sermons, besides helping to clarify his thought 
on some difficult points, will afford a fine example of 
systematic, educational preaching."— Rev. Edward W. 
Miller, D.D., Professor in Auburn Seminary. 

' c I have read your book— some of the sermons I have 
read more than once. The sermons I consider of a 
high order. There is in them a happy union of in- 
tellectuality and spirituality. Either one of these 
qualities would make a volume of sermons precious; 
to write a book which in a marked degree is a meet- 
ing-place for the two is not an every-day accomplish- 
ment; and you are to be congratulated in that you 
have done this. The popular conception of sermonic 
literature is, as you know, not high, and while many 
such popular conceptions are often based on ignorance 
of the subject, yet I think there is justification for 



AUTHORITIES QUOTED. 91 

it in part, as so many weak discourses are published 
in these days (vide, the Monday issue of the news- 
papers of any of our large cities). Yet Sir James 
Stephen, a rare judge, gave it as his deliberate opinion 
some time ago that he knew of no species of literature 
where a truly intellectual man would find more real 
satisfaction than can be found in pulpit discourse. 
The sermon on 'The End,' p. 207, is very able. There 
is much in it that has marked freshness, and yet it is 
biblical throughout. 

"I have had a great deal of enjoyment from the 
sermons on * Reconciliation' and 'Evangelization.' 
In the perusal of them, Stephen's remark has often 
occurred to me. Your thinking throughout the vol- 
ume is consecutive, exact, and scriptural. This, 
though, I would expect from you."— From letter to 
the author from the late Rev. Thomas B. Thomas, 
D.D., Pastor-elect Welsh Presbyterian Church, Pitts- 
burgh, Pa. 



INDEXES 



Authors. 

PAGE PAGE 

Carson, Rev. James G., Martin, Rev. James, D.D. 27 

D.D 11, 28 Moll, Rev. Carl B., D.D.. . 59 

Claybaugh, Rev. Joseph Murphy, Rev. James G., 

D.D 11, 17, 25, 28, 43 LL.D 30 

Collins, Rev. David W., Osgood, Rev. Howard, 

D.D 12,15 D.D 59 

Cooper, Rev. Joseph T., Pliny, the Younger 67 

D.D 49, 50, 65 Pressly, Rev. John T., 

Edersheim, Rev. Alfred, D.D 8,10,27,31,42,54, 

D.D 34, 37, 58, 61 62, 72, 73, 74 

Gieseler, Rev. John, C.L., Reid, Rev. William J., 

D.D 62, 63 D.D 28, 43 

Harper, Rev. James, D.D. Spurgeon, Rev. Charles H. 

7,11,16,70 54,55 

Johnston, Rev. John B., Watts, Rev. Isaac, D.D. . . 5 

D.D 8,24,38,47,49,51 Winer, Rev. George B., 

Lightfoot, Rev. John, D.D 62 

D.D 37 Zunz, Leopold 59 



Authors of Papers in the Psalms in Worship 
which are Quoted 



Grier, Prof. James A., 

D.D., LL.D 19,81 

Kennedy, Rev. James A., 

D.D 18 

MeClenahan, Prof. D. A., 

D.D 30,34-39 

McClure, Rev. William S., 

D.D 37 



MeNaugher, Prof. John 
D., LL.D 67-69, 80 

Moorehead, Prof. William 
G., D.D., LL.D 19 

Wishart, Rev. W. L, 
D.D 39 

Work, Prof. J. B., D.D.. 80 



94 



INDEXES. 



Authorities. 



30 



9 



An Authorized Psalmody 11,28 

A Preface 27 

Catechism ( Westminster, 

Larger) 12,69 

Commentary on the Book 

of Psalms (Murphy) . . 
Confession of Faith 

(Westminster) 

Counterblast to the Or- 
gan 11, 16 

Dictionary of the Bible, 

Davis 13 

Dictionary of the Bible, 

Hastings 13 

Dictionary of the Bible, 

Smith 13 

Gieseler's Ecclesiastical 

History 62 

Lange's Commentary .... 60 
Lardner's Credibility .... 62 

Laudes Domini, New 77 

Musical Instruments in 

Divine Worship 12, 15 

Psalmody, Johnston 

8, 24, 38, 47, 50 



Dr. Pressly on Psalmody 

8, 10, 27, 32, 42, 54, 
64, 72, 74 
Schaff-Herzog Encyclo- 
pedia 7, 70 

The Septuagint 

41, 42, 43, 44, 48, 67 
The Inspired Psalmody 28, 43 
The Ordinance of Praise 

11, 17, 25, 28, 43 
The Psalms in Worship 

18, 19, 30, 34-39, 67, 68, 
69, 80, 81 
The Life and Times of 

Jesus (Edersheim) .. . . 61 
The Temple (Edersheim) 61 
The Temple Service 

(Lightfoot) 37 

The True Psalmody 

18, 27, 49, 54, 65, 73, 74, 77 

Treasury of David 55 

United Presbyterian Tes- 
timony 6 

Winer's Xew Testament 
Grammar 62 



Subjects. 



Aaron 74 

Abiathar 74 

Abihu 22 

Amazing statement 19 

Assumption. .18, 19, 32, 74, 81 

Atonement 21 

Authorities, Extra bibli- 
cal 33 



Authorized Psalmody 

38, 40-45 

Bacchanalian 42, 65 

Barak 27 

Bar to fellowship 1 

Basis of fellowship 4 

Bible songs 7 

Bishop Heber 79 



INDEXES. 



95 



PAGE 

Bithynia 62, 64 

Book of Psalms 

17, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32, 
43, 44, 58 

Csesarea 53 

Calvin, John 35 

Canon, The 16, 28, 29, 33 

Canon of praise 72 

Catechism (The Larger) 

12, 69 

Chassidim 58 

Cheyne, T. K 31 

Christian Reformed 

Church 3 

Churches, Psalm- singing 

3, 38, 75 

Circumlocution 44 

Common faith 9, 24 

Confession of Faith 9, 11 

Conflicting teaching 

15, 36, 37, 39 
Conflicting teaching, Key 

to 16 

Congregationalists 5 

Conventions, Psalmody 

34, 67, 80 

Cornelius 52 

Crux of question 34 

Deborah 27 

Difference, Divisive 1, 2 

Unjustifiable.. 2 
Divine appointment 

9, 11, 20, 21, 26 
" commands, inter- 
pretation 12 

will 2,21 

Edwards, Jonathan 26 



PAGE 

Eldad 22 

Elements of worship.... 21 
Evangelical psalmody . . . 52-5(5 
Explaining the Psalm. . . 6 

Ezra 25,28 

Feasts, Jewish 13 

Dedication 13, 14 

Passover 14, 33 

Pentecost 13 

Purim 13 

Tabernacles.. 13,58,59 
Fourth Commandment. . . 14 

Gospel hymns 80 

Singing the 80 

Habakkuk 28, 31, 36, 37 

Hallel 33 

Hezekiah 14, 30 

Hopes of Psalm singers. . 81 

Hymnals 79 

Hymns, Authorship of . . . 77 
" Fellowship in 

singing 77 

Gospel. 80 

Making. 47, 60, 65, 69 

" Sectarian 76 

Use of legiti- 
mate 70, 72, 73 

" Use of inexpedi- 
ent 72, 80 

Hymnology 52, 79 

Hymn singers 1, 20 

" " Position of 6, 52 

Human composures. . 24, 36, 70 

Indefinite position. . . 6, 7, 8, 50 

Inspired. . .7, 18, 38, 48, 56, 68 

Psalmody 

36, 38, 46-51 



96 



INDEXES. 



PAGE 

Instrumental music. . 23, 59, 61 

Josiah 31 

Judas Maccabeus 13 

Laws of worship 37 

Levites 34, 74 

Little mite 36,37 

Making hymns. . .47, 60, 65, 69 

Medad 22 

Men of deed 58 

Miriam 74 

Moses 15,36,74 

Nadab 22 

New wine 51 

Nomenclature 44, 56 

Obligatory 12, 14, 15, 16 

Ordinance of praise 

16, 17, 18, 20, 54, 74, 80 

Ordinances worship 15, 16 

Osgood, Rev. Howard, 

D.D 59 

Overture, The 70 

Paraphrases, The 37, 38 

Pentateuch 44 

Personal experience 4, 38 

incident 59 

Plantation melodies 65 

Praise 19, 54, 74 

" Manual of 19 

" Ordinance of. See 
above. 

" Purpose of 54,55 

" What is 18,19,20 

Prayer 54, 74, 75 

Priests 21,22,74 

Prophets 21,22,74 

Prophesying 75 

Psalmody. . .22, 23, 40, 59, 81 



PAGE 

Psalmody Conventions 

34, 67, 80 
<e Davidic or au- 
thorized 

5, 6, 34, 38, 40-45, 80 
" Scripture or in- 
spired 5, 7, 8, 36, 
38, 46-51, 70 
" Scriptural or 

evangelical 6, 52-56 
" systems 1, 5, 6, 40, 52 
" in United Pres- 
byterian Church 

2, 6, 25 
Psalter, Compilation of 

25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 35 
" Composite.. 29,30,35 
u Manual of praise 

6, 27, 28, 29, 38, 39 
Psalm, Explaining of ... . 6 
" titles 

41, 42, 43, 48, 54, 56, 67 
" titles of the 76th 

psalm 41 

Question, Psalmody 5 

Crux of 34 

Point of 

12, 24, 25, 34 
Settlement of.. 4 

Quibble 36,38,68 

Ritual 22,23 

Rubric 68,80 

Septuagint. .28, 41, 42, 43, 44, 

45, 48, 67 

Seventy-sixth psalm. . . .41, 67 

Singing in course 6, 7 

the Gospel 81 



INDEXES. 



97 



PAGE 

Spiritual... 22, 23, 41, 42, 44, 
48, 51, 56, 57, 68 

Strife of words 20 

Synagogue 28, 34 

Temple song service 

33, 36, 39, 66, 74 

Uzziah 23 

Unthinkable linking 69 

Unhappy argumentation 36, 68 
Versions of the Bible 

American 20 

British 20 



PAGE 

American Bible Union. 20 

\ oluntary 15, 16 

Watts, Isaac, D.D 5 

Wesley, Charles 78 

Word of Christ 49, 53, 66 

Worship, Acceptable 21 

Basis of 21 

Elements of . . . 21 

Laws of 11,37 

" Ordinances of 15, 16 
Zadok 74 



Scripture Texts. 



Exodus 15: 1 34 

20:24,25 10 

25: 2 14 

35: 29 14 

36: 3 14 

Levit. 10: 1-3 22 

" 23: 38 15 

Num. 11: 16-30 22 

Deut. 16: 16, 17 13,15 

" 32: 1 34 

ISam. 1: 7 13 

2 " 22:1 27 

IChron. 6:31,49 23 

" " 16:9 20 

" * 21:1 27 

" " 25:1-3 75 

" " 26:16-21 23 

2 " 29:25-30 23 

" " 29:30 30 

Psalms 14: 1 54 

" 18:1 27 

" 39:9 42 

" 53:1 30 

u 70: 1 30 



Psalms 72: 20 42 

" 76: 1 41,67 

" 82:1 55 

* 92:1 33 

" 96:1 27 

" 105:1-15 27 

" 105:2 20 

" 113-118 31 

" 120-134 42 

Isa. 38: 20 23,30 

Hab. 3: 19 31 

Matt. 12: 7 12 

" 26:30 19,33 

Mark 14:7 12 

" 14:26 19 

Luke 2: 13,20 19 

" 19:37 19 

" 20:42 44 

" 24:53 19 

John 7 : 37 14 

" 8: 12 14 

" 10:22 13 

Acts 2: 47 19 



98 



INDEXES. 



PAGE 

Acts 3: 8, 9 19 

" 10: 34-43 53 

" 10: 36-38 66 

" 13:33,35 44 

" 16:25 19 



Rom. 15: 11.. 

" 15:27.. 

ICor. 3: 1... 

Gal. 6: 1 

Eph. 4: 11, 12. 



19 
57 
57 
57 
69 



Eph. 5: 18-20. 
" 6:12.... 
Col. 3: 16.... 
ITira. 3: 16.. 
Heb. 2:12.... 
IPet. 1: 12-25 
James 5: 13. . 
Rev. 19: 5.... 
Rev. 22: 17... 
1 Mac. 4:52-59 



PAGE 

...40, 42 

57 

.40,42,66 
.62,66 
19 
54 
.19,31 
19 
69 
13 






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